Our lives are busy, so understandably so, not everyone could find the time to attend board meetings.  But... Matt Jensen, superintendent stated "not everyone is happy with some decisions."  Just to be clear, it is not just 1 or 2 or even a few people who are appalled and in utter disagreement with this decision. There are 20, yes I said 20 parents who have shown support by either writing letters, e-mails, attending board meetings, or by signing a petition to show their support to Mrs. Whalen. There have been at least 11 co-workers or colleagues that have shown Mrs. Whalen support and disagree with the administration, and this number is not including those who said they would support her but were afraid of the consequences and the possible loss of their own jobs!! 

With this being said, Averill, the only trustee who spoke out at the board meeting defended the board!! Yet she also said "they value what members of the community say"...seems VERY contradictory to me! 

I guess Wendy Miller was right on when she stated "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." So even when they do not follow their own procedures, policies and responsibilities, the board will look past that and side with the administration, which in turn makes superintendent Matt Jensen and principal Brenda Clarke feel they can do no wrong and are able to get away with whatever they want. 

The process is so flawed and confusing that even board members were unaware the decision was finalized during the March board meeting  when Kelli Whalen's name was listed with all other non-tenured teachers on the RIFT list!

— Justin Trodick, Bigfork