State to make decision on school employees’ future
Published 7:10 pm Monday, April 21, 2014
Still Employed?: Selma City School Superintendent of Education Gerald Shirley is pictured at a State Board of Education meeting in early February where the board voted to takeover the Selma City School System. Monday, the state said it would start drafting a decision on the future employment status of Shirley and two others. (Jay Sowers | Times-Journal)
The Alabama Department of Education is preparing to make a decision on the employment status of three central office personnel, who are currently on administrative leave.
The state placed Selma City Schools Superintendent of Education Gerald Shirley, curriculum coordinator Wanda McCall and testing coordinator Mamie Solomon on administrative leave in February immediately following the state’s intervention.
Monday, acting superintendent Larry DiChiara said he would begin drafting a legal recommendation about the future employment status of the three employees. Each employee was given time to respond to the state’s decision.
“We have tried very hard to afford the individual’s due process and liberty interest protections,” DiChiara said in a text message. “If [State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tommy Bice] agrees with my recommendation, we will then notify the employees via certified mail. I cannot say at this time what I will be recommending, or give details about the content of my letter to Dr. Bice or to the employees.”
DiChiara said once Bice and the employees received the letter he could speak on-the-record about the state’s decision.
In a previous interview with the Times-Journal, DiChiara said former Selma High teacher Lantangila Williams’ decision to plead guilty to having sex with a student and sexual contact with a student would play a part in the future of the three employees on leave.
The state’s intervention also found that test scores were altered at elementary schools in the Selma City School System. Responding to the state’s findings in March, DiChiara said he was unsure of exactly how scores were altered.
The process leading to the takeover began nearly one year ago, when Williams was arrested on multiple charges, including inappropriate sexual conduct with a student. The Selma City School Board later voted, 3-2, against an independent investigation into the system regarding sexual misconduct. Soon after, the state began its investigation into Selma City Schools.
The state released the investigation results last fall. The results alleged inappropriate sexual behavior, failure to enforce graduation requirement policies and a general disregard for instructional time.
