Cloquet School Board members made a commitment to keep speech and theater classes in the high school curriculum during a Monday meeting called specifically to address replacing the only teacher in the school who is certified to teach those classes.
Julie McMerty, who will retire before next semester begins, has taught English, speech and theater, and has overseen the extracurricular drama program at the high school for some 30 years.
When high school administrators recently recommended replacing her with a full-time English teacher, many parents, students and former students protested over concerns that speech and theater would fall by the wayside. Many said theater classes and the drama program, in particular, were cornerstones of what makes Cloquet High School unique and attractive to prospective students.
Due to previous confusion over high school teaching licensing requirements and union contracts, the parameters for replacing her were unclear during last week's regularly scheduled school board meeting. Administrators believed an English teacher could teach speech and theater as well and moved to hire based upon that belief.
"This has been complicated ... and understandably confusing," said Ken Scarbrough, Cloquet Schools superintendent.
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Scarbrough researched license requirements, however, and consulted the schools' attorney and determined that different licensing requirements were needed to teach the classes.
With that information, the board approved a motion to hire a licensed speech and theater teacher just to finish out the school year. Ultimately, the full position will be open and the new hire or hires will be determined in the spring when teachers and administrators know more about the needs of the school for next year.
McMerty splits her year teaching English first semester and speech and theater second semester, so only speech and theater were left to fill for the remainder of this year.
Scarbrough said the board's decision for a temporary hire was a prudent one.
"Right now we need to take care of second semester, period," he stated. "And then we take care of [next school year] when we know more. The understanding for second semester [hiring] is that the positions will be re-posted [once it's finished], period. I think that is all the assurance this school district needs."
By a vote of 4-2 with Gary Huard, Jim Crowley, Sandy Crowley and Ron Gittings voting in favor and Duane Buytaert and Stephanie Hammitt voting against, the board not only approved filling the position temporarily, but added the clause that no speech or theater offerings would be cut for the 2008-2009 school year.
"We are taking it one step at a time," said Ron Gittings, who made the motion that was ultimately approved. "I don't want us to cut anything in speech or theater. I think we need more, especially in speech. I think it's crucially important in the times in which we live."
In the spring, once enrollment numbers and staffing needs become more apparent, the board will post the open position or positions for speech, theater and English.
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"This has been a very complicated issue and I thank everyone for their patience," Scarbrough said.
Pine Journal Editor Lisa Baumann can be contacted at: lbaumann@pinejournal.com .
