Administration Abusing Coach and Teacher
I am in my 3rd year of teaching 1st grade in Sunnyside, Washington. Last year I was an assistant basketball coach at the high school. During the season the players were having a lot of problems about how the head coach was treating them. He verbally abused them, and some of the kids went as far as to cuss when they were benched by him. It was not only a disgrace to the program, but to the community that I coached in.
Letter to Super Letter to Seattle Times The previous year he had ripped a player's jersey and hit him in the chest. He was suspended one game by the athletic director for this. The kid who was hit quit the team and moved back East. The player was the best guy on the team, and probably would've made all-league his Junior and Senior years. Parents and players were tired of his antics so I stood up on their behalf. I started with the Head Coach and Athletic Director in February. They didn't want to listen. So I went to the principal, and he had a letter of resignation ready for me to sign. Finally I went to the Superintendent. He said that I had said a few things that he would check into. He wouldn't be specific.
On May 15, 2003 I was told my coaching contract would not be renewed for the upcoming season. If I had any questions I was told to please contact the Superintendent. So I did, and he gave me the excuse that I didn't follow the chain of command. Which is ludicrous since I started with the head coach and ad, then went to the principal, and then finally to the Superintendent. In June the school board in the district had a closed door meeting concerning the head coach. He had put a picture of two young men at church camp in an end of the year album for the kids. In a caption above the picture it said, "Young Love." The kids in the picture were not on the team. One had been cut earlier in the year. The school board told the administration that either he could resign or he would be fired. I knew all along that he was a snake in the grass, but nobody in the administration wanted to do anything. If he did not resign then two sets of parents were going to sue the school district.
My team finished 19-1 in their respective division. I had the respect of players and parents. Now it has affected my teaching job as well. I had a almost flawless review last Spring, and this Fall the same guy who did my review ripped me apart. He also brought up how coaching and teaching were alike on my exit interview after my evaluation. Do you think I would want to hear one thing about how they are alike after he tore my evaluation apart? I was so upset I could barely look him in the eye. It was not only degrading but humiliating. Now my Uniserv Rep wants to force them to redo my Evaluation in January. I have been bullied by my administration for 7 months now. Does anyone have any idea of what I can do? I don't think it is fair that they can bully me like this. The past few days I've been reading the Seattle Times. They've talked how the WEA and how the OSPI have overlooked coaches who prey on young women. Some of these men had sex with girls under the age of 18. Why is it if I am trying to do the right thing do I get punished? These gentlemen who performed these sick acts were protected by the WEA and were still allowed to teach. Is that fair in any way? I don't think so. If anyone has any ideas of what I can do please email me at tchrben@aol.com
Thanks,
Ben R. Anderson
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