A Bigfork School Board decision to terminate a kindergarten teacher has drawn criticism from community members.

Kelli Whalen has taught in Bigfork Elementary and Middle School for two years. Her contract was not renewed during a March 18 board meeting.

Whalen addressed the board Wednesday along with parents who spoke in support of her effectiveness in the classroom and the impact she has made in their children’s lives. Parents and Whalen asked the board to reconsider its decision.

Middle school student Destinee Butterfield broke into tears while addressing the board in support of Whalen.

“My little sister is in Miss Whalen’s class,” Butterfield said. “We’re moving so it’s really stressful. She’s just been having a really hard time coming to school every day and Miss Whalen has been there. I love the way she teaches.”

While audience members provided glowing descriptions of Whalen, they put the pressure on administrators and board trustees to clarify the procedure, raising the question of a much larger issue as to whether or not administrators fell short in properly evaluating Whalen and potentially other teachers who have been terminated.

Because Whalen is not a tenured teacher the district can terminate her without cause, according to state law. In this case, Whalen said she was given reasons that were contradictory and inconsistent.

A tenured teacher cannot be fired without a just cause. Montana teachers are eligible for tenure after three years in a district.

Districts must give teachers notice of nonrenewal by June 1. Bigfork, however, handed out notifications much earlier — on or around Feb. 28 — followed by board decisions at a March 18 meeting. Board notes from the March 18 meeting mention that Whalen read a letter to board members at the meeting. She again addressed the board Wednesday.

“To be perfectly clear, I most definitely want my teaching job at Bigfork School,” Whalen said.

Whalen said she was shocked when Bigfork Elementary and Middle School Principal Brenda Clarke informed her Feb. 27 she was recommending the board not renew her contract. Whalen said Clarke alleged she had inadequate staff relations/participation, and that she wasn’t a good advocate for students and was not a good “fit” for the school. 

“I could not disagree more with her reasons and I have many examples that prove them to be untrue,” Whalen said.

What also came under fire was the number of times Whalen was evaluated. According to the school and board policy regarding personnel and evaluations, “Nontenured staff receive a formal evaluation and evaluation conference a minimum of once per each semester.” There are two semesters in a year.

Whalen contended she had been given only two evaluations over two years. In one evaluation this year she was found to be “professionally proficient” in all areas. Whalen provided a copy of her evaluation to the Daily Inter Lake confirming her statement. The evaluation form, however, was not completed in the areas of “Effective Student Evaluation” or “Professional Responsibilities.”

Bigfork Superintendent Matt Jensen later debated this point.

“A recommendation will be based on formal and informal classroom observations, discussions with a teacher, committee work and a teacher’s performance of all assigned duties and responsibilities,” Jensen said. “Should a building principal determine that a nontenured teacher is not meeting the standards expected of a certified teacher in the district, the principal has a professional responsibility to make a decision and recommendation for nonrenewal. By statute a board must pass a motion to nonrenew a contact with a nontenure teacher and the district must provide that teacher with written notice of that decision by June 1.”

Whalen said she met with Clarke on March 4 and asked her why she was let go. According to Whalen, Clarke allegedly told her “we don’t give reasons, we say ‘without cause.’” She was also told the decision was not performance-based and was not based on personality. 

Whalen wondered why she wasn’t given an earlier opportunity to work on any performance problems and why they weren’t documented in her personnel file.

Whether or not administrators complied with school policy was a point of contention with parent Monica Harris reading a portion of the policy.

“Performance evaluation instruments and the evaluation process should focus on improvement of professional skills and effectiveness — and this is the clincher — also provide the basis for employment recommendations to the Board of Trustees.

“Even though the administration has the right to recommend that a nontenured teacher be dismissed without cause, we trust and the board trusts that these recommendations won’t be made for arbitrary reasons having nothing to do with a teacher’s performance or the best interests of students,” Harris said.” 

Earlier in the meeting, parent Wendy Miller voiced her support of Whalen and described a feeling of ineffectiveness despite approaching the board and administration.

“I know that I’m far from alone in feeling like our voices don’t matter and it’s really a waste of our breath to even show up and speak because at the end of the day the board and the administration feel their opinion supersedes ours, which really begs to answer the question,” Miller said.

Board chairwoman Maureen Averill was the only trustee who spoke at the meeting, but limited her comments in defense of the board. Averill said public comment is considered in all board decisions.

When it was Jensen’s time to address the public, he stuck to talking about procedure and professional responsibility, acknowledging not everyone is happy with some decisions.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.