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Assistant Principal Matt Snipes saves choking student
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown City Schools CEO Krish Mohip said Matt Snipes, an assistant principal, displayed the perfect example of doing what it takes to take care of the whole child.
“The assistant principal jumped into action – without thinking – and saved a student’s life,” Mohip said.
Snipes, Discovery Transition to Careers at Volney assistant principal, gave the Heimlich maneuver to a student choking on pizza Friday afternoon.
“I said, ‘Oh shoot’ ...,” Snipes said. “I pushed the kids out of the way and did my version of the Heimlich, looked to make sure [the student] was OK ... and that’s my story.”
A room full of community members and more than 100 teachers stood and applauded Snipes, and Mohip said Snipes “helped ensure the child would go home for another day.”
The large volume of teachers wore red-colored Youngstown Education Association shirts.
Mohip said although he hadn’t yet spoken to YEA President Larry Ellis, he hoped the teachers were uniting to show district support.
The teachers union filed an unfair labor practice charge last week that accuses Mohip of engaging in public bargaining through the manipulation of local media, and challenged Mohip’s interpretation of when certain provisions of House Bill 70 become active.
HB 70 gives the CEO broad powers to run the school district to make sure it rises to state academic standards.
Mohip and Ellis have been engaging in a back-and-forth over Mohip’s intent to give district teachers a 5 percent raise on top of the 2 percent raise promised in their current contract.
Despite the controversy, Ellis said teachers attended the meeting to show that they are concerned with what’s happening in the district.
“We just want to show that we want to be a part of the district,” he said.
In lieu of the ongoing litigation, Ellis said he had no update.
In other news, Tyrone Olverson, chief academic officer, announced current Chaney STEM/VPA Principal Joe Krumpak will be resigning for personal reasons.
In March, Mohip announced the start of a nationwide search for principals for Chaney and East high schools, which include Krumpak and East Principal Denise Vaclav-Danko.
Neither Krumpak nor Vaclav-Danko was being terminated – just moved to other positions, Mohip said.
Mohip said Krumpak will be missed.
“During his time he did great things for the district,” Mohip said.