City schools hire 28 teachers for kindergarten, first grade
By Denise Dick
By DENISE DICK
youngstowN
The city school board hired 28 new kindergarten and first-grade teachers as directed in an academic- recovery plan, but two schools will begin the year without principals.
One of the elements in an academic-recovery plan developed by an Academic Distress Commission to get the district out of academic emergency called for a 15-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio in kindergarten and first grade.
The hiring of the new teachers at Tuesday’s board meeting will allow the district to accomplish that.
Meanwhile, the union representing district teachers issued a 10-day strike notice Tuesday.
A news release from the Youngstown Education Association said it was a unanimous vote from its 530 members.
The teachers’ contract expired June 30.
“Although we do not have a new contract, teachers will report to work [today] and will greet students for the first day of classes on Thursday,” YEA spokesman Larry Ellis said in the news release. “Our members are very disappointed with the lack of progress in bargaining but remain hopeful that a settlement can be reached before it is necessary to take further action.”
Superintendent Wendy Webb told board members at Tuesday’s meeting that the two sides met late into Monday evening and that she looked forward to ongoing negotiations.
A federal mediator has been assisting with negotiations since late last month.
When classes resume Thursday, both Paul C. Bunn Elementary and Chaney High schools will be without principals. The principals of those schools retired at the end of the last school year.
Temporary personnel, called utility principals, will fill those roles until selections are made.
Nothing has been brought to the school board regarding the Chaney principal.
But a resolution to appoint Velma McNeil-Mangena to the $68,526-yearly elementary-principal job didn’t pass with two members voting yes, two voting no and three abstaining.
Board member Rachel Hanni had made a motion to postpone the vote on the resolution, but that failed.
Anthony Catale, board president, and member Michael Murphy voted against the resolution. Catale said he had issues with the salary amount. Murphy said he didn’t think McNeil-Mangena, who works in the Painesville school district, had enough experience. She’s been a teacher only since 2000.
Hanni and board members Lock Beachum Sr. and June Drennen abstained.
They said they wanted additional information about the prospective principal. Drennen also was concerned about the woman’s only working one year as an assistant principal.
Board members Andrea Mahone and Richard Atkinson voted in favor of the appointment.