Fresh Faces Set To Replace Staff Leaving Oak Lawn Community High School

There's going to be some new faces at in the 2011-2012 school year due to several resignations and retirements during the summer months.

At the Wednesday, July 20, Oak Lawn District 229 Board of Education meeting, the board approved the resignations or retirements of two certified staff members, one non-certified staff member and the hiring of two new staff members.

District Superintendent Michael Riordan said that although it is late in the summer to be receiving resignations or retirements, the positions will be filled in a timely manner and will not have an affect on student's class work.

Certified staff members who were approved for retirement or resignation at the meeting were Angela Taylor, a school psychologist, and Dana Steinecker, an industrial education teacher. Both votes to approve the two staff members leaving were unanimously approved by the members in attendance.

Steinecker's resignation was briefly discussed in open session by the board, which was worried about the suddenness of the resignation. It was explained that although it was sudden, the school will have time to fill the vacancy and that the staff turnover rate for the school was still average for the year.

“I'm meeting with Dave Johnson, who's the division chair in that area, tomorrow to plan how we're going to deal with this,” Riordan said. “We're going to need to replace her one way or another.”

Riordan went on to explain that the position will be posted and that the school will begin accepting applications shortly. There is some concern though over the availability of a teacher who has the same certifications as Steinecker.

If a teacher is found that does not have the exact same certifications, the school will be forced to move certain items in the curriculum around to make up the differences.

“It's get complicated, can we find a person with the same exact certification that is qualified to teach these same classes or do we have shuffle things in and out with some other teachers,” Riordan said. “It could have kind of a ripple, domino effect for us and that's what we have to sort out, but a lot of it ends up based on the quality and the qualifications of the applications that we get and who's most qualified for us."

Non-certified staff member Ellen Mancillas, who was a part time nurse at the school also resigned. The open position has already been posted by the school and is expected to be filled before the school year begins.

Though three staff members left the school, two new members were hired by the board as well. Ashley August, a school psychologist, and Alexandra Wong, a Spanish teacher, were both hired by the board to fill teaching positions at the school.

Both new staff members received a unanimous votes of approval by the board members in attendance at the meeting.

The next District 229 Board of Education meeting will be held at Oak Lawn High School on Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m.