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Despite significant opposition, Parishville-Hopkinton replaces high school principal

Posted 12/4/18

Edited at 11:15 a.m. to reflect the fact that Virgina Doll has been replaced as high school principal and placed on indefinite administrative leave until a Dec. 20 school board at which members are …

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Despite significant opposition, Parishville-Hopkinton replaces high school principal

Posted

Edited at 11:15 a.m. to reflect the fact that Virgina Doll has been replaced as high school principal and placed on indefinite administrative leave until a Dec. 20 school board at which members are expected to be asked to deny her tenure and fire her. Our original story said she had been fired. NorthCountryNow.com regrets the error.


North Country Now

PARISHVILLE -- In front of a crowd of approximately 30 people, about a dozen of whom spoke in opposition, the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School Board of Education replaced its high school principal Monday night.

“It’s quite obvious this whole thing was calculated and callous and I don’t agree with this decision one bit,” PHCS teacher Scott Lalonde told the board. “I find it appalling, how cruel and inhumane the handling of this termination has become.”

'While the issue is ongoing she is on indefinite administrative leave," according to Superintendent William "Bill" Collins.

If the board votes to fire and deny Doll tenure on Dec. 20, it would become effective 30 days from that date. The vote needs to be simple majority.

Collins, in a statement released last week, told teachers and staff that the district would be parting ways with its high school principal, Virginia Doll. "We cannot comment further on specifics related to Ms. Doll's departure as it is a personnel matter,” Collins said.

Elementary Principal Brooke Reid was appointed interim high school principal and Colton-Pierrepont Central teacher Nicole Weakfall was appointed interim elementary principal.

Lalonde, who has taught in the district for nearly three decades, said most of his fellow teachers echo his sentiments but are too afraid to voice their opinion publicly.

Community members, former teacher Evan Harper and former school board member Heidi Simmons also spoke during the 20-minute public comment period. No one who spoke supports the decision to get rid of Doll.

Collins says he takes ownership of the decision to replace Doll. “After weighing the options, I strive to do what I believe is the best interest of our school regardless of the difficulty.”

Doll had also functioned as athletic director. Monday, the board appointed Tim Hayes, former athletic director at Massena Central, as interim director.

Lalonde pointed to the school’s academic successes and gave some of that credit to Doll.

He then turned his attention to the school board.

“The school board is the ultimate authority here, why don’t you do a little research, listen to the community you serve and use it? You don’t have to blindly agree and support everything that comes out of the superintendent's office. We elected you to the school board to represent the will of the community and to do what’s right and best for students,” he said.

 To view a YouTube video of his entire presentation, see video here.

Doll failed to respond when North Country This Week reached out for comment.[img_assist|nid=248509|title=Doll|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=200|height=200]

Lalonde’s presentation was a shortened version of a full letter aimed at Collins and the school board in support of Doll. He sent the full letter to North Country This week, which follows:

“Good evening everyone, for those that don’t know me, my name is Scott Lalonde and I have been a teacher here in the district for 29 years. I’ve been here long enough that I know all the staff and students and many students parents well. For the most part I’m proud of this school and what we have accomplished.

“I don't’ come to many BOE or Union meetings I mostly just keep my mouth shut and do my job. Most of my colleagues feel the same way but, are too afraid to say anything about this shake up, so I’ll speak. Not just as a faculty member, but also as a taxpayer and father of grown children that graduated from this school. As a member of the Parishville Hopkinton community.

“Most of you board members were here when I was hired in 1990. I think I have a pretty good understanding of what goes on in this building day to day, just like in my own house.

[img_assist|nid=248516|title=Lalonde|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=200|height=200]“Our staff is pretty close, we all work together to mentor each other so that we all become more effective. Believe it or not, many districts want what we have. To be hired here is very much like being adopted.

“The administration is forever talking about the importance of the connections we make here with students. They are right, and they are possible because we are in a small school and we treat each other like family.

“In my tenure here I have seen all but 3 staff members, be replaced or retire, and at least 11 different administrators come and go, I can confidently say I’ve had a good working relationship with them all. Tom Burns said to me years ago in discussing his decision making process that “sometimes you have to step back and just do what’s best for the students.” Good words to live by in this profession. Something I recommend for all of you.

“In my mind any administrator can make the easy decisions the ones everyone is in favor of. But the ones that can stand up to opposition and make a decision that people don’t favor, yet they know is best for kids is a cut above!

“Of all the administrative staff I have worked with, 3 administrators stand out in my mind as a cut above. They weren’t perfect, but they were the ones who could make the tough decisions. The decisions not everyone liked, but were best for students. Ginny Doll is one of them! When we hired Miss Doll, I felt fortunate that we found her and I still do today. It is obvious to everyone that she is a leader, and a highly effective teacher. Her instructional knowledge of curriculum and the New York State standards is immense. She is not one of those administrators that took administrative classes to get out of the classroom because they couldn’t handle it.

“Since Miss Doll has been here, Parishville Hopkinton Central school has been nationally recognized by US News as a Bronze best school? She has single handedly created a very successful homework motivational system, the ICU and 26 credits of college courses. She has also dealt with athletic issues with student’s that have boarded [sic] on criminal. She has put her heart and soul into this job for the past 3-½ years, 2 years with Mr. Saiff, ½ year with Mr. Walbridge and a little over a year with Dr. Collins, and has got nothing but commendations.

“You all know in Parishville we know each other’s business, and I for the life of me don’t know where this is coming from. I was speechless and flabbergasted when I heard that Dr. Collins wishes to deny her tenure and terminate her position immediately. It was even more shocking when I found out her contract is up in July.

“Why would you want to leave a permanent black mark on an outstanding employee’s record. When you could just as easily not fulfill their contract and let them go their own way in July, like you have done with others in the past. This is down right nasty!

“I understand it’s the board and superintendent’s job to hire staff. And that it’s well within your power to pick whomever you choose.

“But do you really believe that the termination of the high school Principal and Athletic Director in the middle of the school year is what’s best for students? What are you thinking? You know what your interim administrator prospects will look like. Do you really believe that after you have created chaos in the high school, moving the Elementary principal to 7-12 will minimize the damage? Now the whole school will be affected. Do you really think this is best for students?

“This is the by far the most rash, short sighted and heartless decision I have seen this school board and superintendent make in 29 years. You’re treatment of Ms. Doll like some sort of criminal, like she has done something heinous, when you all know she has not, has the staff nervous and on edge, and it’s put the community’s confidence in the Superintendent and the school board’s decision making ability in doubt. She’s not perfect, no one is, but this is unreasonable.

“What you’re doing may be perfectly legal, but it surely is not how you treat family. Calling someone into your office at the end of business the day before Thanksgiving break to tell them they are being fired, with no explanation why, who does that? Then after you could not intimidate her into resigning, you reschedule the Dec. board meeting first to Dec. 20 and then again to today so you can go into executive session and finalize this. That’s wrong!

“It’s quite obvious this whole thing was calculated and callous and I don’t agree with this decision one bit. I find it appalling how cruel and inhumane the handling of this termination has become.

“What’s wrong with showing a little compassion? What happened to talking to someone when you have a problem and listening to both sides of the story to resolve a dispute? Due process shouldn’t have to be legislated, or contractual it’s common decency and it’s completely lacking here. Is it really necessary to ruin this young woman’s future career prospects, because of a personality conflict and trumped up petty nonsense? That’s really what’s at the heart of this. Most of you board members have children her age or close, how would you feel if she were your daughter, and her employer treated her like this? You'd be appalled!

“The school board is the ultimate authority here, why don’t you do a little research, listen to the community you serve and use it? You don’t have to blindly agree and support everything that comes out of the superintendent's office. We elected you to the school board to represent the will of the community and to do what’s right and best for students.

“It sickens and saddens me to see people I have looked up to all these years, pull something like this and I can tell everyone of you I will remember this the next time I come to school to vote.”