Less than a month after being named acting principal of R.D. Parker Collegiate in the wake of the Feb. 23 firing of probationary principal Ryan Land, Wally Itson has gone on medical leave.
AngÈle Bartlett, former principal of Burntwood Elementary School, who was promoted to assistant superintendent of human resources for the beginning of this academic year, and one of two School District of Mystery Lake assistant superintendents, becomes acting principal of R.D. Parker Collegiate in Itson's absence March 21, trustee Rob Pellizzaro, chair of the board, said in a brief statement Sunday night.
"We wish Mr. Itson a speedy recovery," Pellizzaro said. "In his absence, Mrs. AngÈle Bartlett, assistant superintendent, will serve as acting principal. Mrs. Bartlett is a career educator with extensive administrative experience including seven years as a school principal prior to assuming her role as assistant superintendent. We are confident that the integrity and quality of the teaching and learning shall remain positive."
School District of Mystery Lake trustees voted 5-2 to fire Land Feb. 22 and he was marched out of his office, computer locked, and escorted off the school premises the following morning, igniting a firestorm of protest. The board is set to reconsider Land's firing April 5. Voting to fire Land were Pellizzaro, vice-chairperson Guido Oliveira and trustees Vince Nowlin, Alexander Ashton and Valerie Wilson. Opposed to the firing of Land were trustees Leslie Tucker and Sya Gregovski.
Itson, one of three vice-principals under Land, was named acting principal Feb. 23. Grant Kreuger, a second vice-principal, was placed on paid administrative leave for three days and demoted back to the teaching ranks at the same time Land was fired, but in a separate and what the board says was an unrelated action. The vote to demote Kreuger was six in favour, none opposed and one abstention - Gregovski - who declared a conflict of interest.
The third vice-principal, Rob Watt, remains in his post.
The medical leave being taken by Itson, even if temporary, is the third high-profile departure at the school board this school year, following Land's firing and an incident last December, when assistant superintendent Angelina Pilon - who had been hired only a few months previous - "agreed to resign" after a 15-page, largely single-spaced, statement of complaint against superintendent Bev Hammond was found by the board to be entirely false.
Superintendents and assistant superintendents have come and gone locally at a brisk pace in recent years. The husband-and-wife team of Bruce Waldie and Christelle Waldie were hired prior to the 2009-2010 school year, but Bruce Waldie was fired just before Christmas in 2009. Christelle Waldie left voluntarily six months later at the end of the last school year.
Hugh Fraser, a longtime teacher and administrator with the school district, was coaxed out of retirement in 2007 to work as assistant superintendent, later moving to the top position before re-retiring this past summer to make way for Hammond.
R.D. Parker hasn't had much more luck with its top positions in the last few years. Former principal Kathleen Kelson left the post in January 2009 and was moved to the newly-created post of "school district community connector." Then vice-principal Eric Overall, who had been brought back from retirement, moved up to the post of acting principal for the remainder of the 2008-09 school year.
Watt, a teacher at R.D. Parker since 1995, replaced Overall as a vice-principal Feb. 2, 2009. Warren Hingley was also brought out of retirement to take a vice-principal's job.
Both Overall and Hingley returned to their retirements after the 2008-09 academic year. Kreuger, who also served as vice-principal for the 2008-09 academic year, stayed on with Watt as a vice-principal, joined in 2009-10 by Itson, originally from National City in San Diego County, California, who has also taught in Colorado, as well as the Los Angeles and Orange County areas of southern California.
While Itson had prior experience in the United States working as a vice-principal - often seen both inside and outside the school chiefly in the role of a disciplinarian - it is as a well-loved music teacher, and Thompson Community Band conductor that he has truly made his mark in the community over the last number of years.
Itson resigned as co-conductor of the Thompson Community Band March 14. In a group e-mail to band members, he wrote: "Good evening everyone, I feel very guilty about missing so much time with community band, especially being one of the conductors. Although band has been very good for all of us and I especially enjoyed the 'stress relief,' I feel I must gracefully bow out at this time. Without going into much detail, the bottom line is I am very busy and when I do have some time I think it needs to be elsewhere. What made it very easy for my decision is the good work that Kevin (Lewis) does, along with the support of Sarah and Serena. It just isn't fair to be a co-conductor when one 'co' doesn't come close to doing his part. What makes it very difficult for me is the friends and laughter, but true friends are always friends so I haven't lost any friends. just my life is less full of laughter right now.
"This is not goodbye, as I hope to come sit in at times. It's been a long time since Betsy (Wrana) led the way into making this group reality. I am very proud of it and all of you."
Itson's passion for teaching music and bands has shone through everything he has done here in Thompson. A 60th birthday party for him last October at the Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada Association (ANAVETS) Thompson Unit 388 hall on Nelson Road was a testament to that as an incredibly diverse cross-section of the community and people not necessarily often found in the same room on a Saturday, or indeed any night - ranging from Pentecostal pastors to fellow teachers to provincial and federal politicians to local media newspaper and radio friends turned out to pay tribute to him.
Itson has also worked tirelessly - often with his friend, Donna Wilson, former general manager of the Thompson Citizen and Nickel Belt News, who now runs the Rogers franchise at City Centre Mall, on scores of volunteer endeavours, including Relay for Life, the former Thompson General Hospital Foundation, now part of the Thompson Community Foundation, the Old Fashioned Christmas Concert and Thompson Playhouse, to name just a few.
Gerald Farthing, deputy minister of education, was dispatched to Thompson March 4 by NDP Education Minister Nancy Allan in the wake of the school crisis and met with various parties, including trustees and senior board administrators, such as superintendent Bev Hammond, as well as meeting Mayor Tim Johnston, and, three representatives of Thompson Parents for an Accountable School District of Mystery Lake Board.
On Feb. 24, Johnston asked the minister to conduct a review of the School District of Mystery Lake (SDML).
"I formally request that the Minister of Education conduct an independent review of the S.D.M.L.," he wrote.
Specifically, the mayor expressed concern about the effects of constant turnover at the highest levels of the district on attracting and retaining new residents, the cost to the taxpayers of that turnover, and what he called the "level of fear and sense of intimidation conveyed to my office from parents, staff and students regarding S.D.M.L. Board of Trustees and Administration retribution if people speak out."
"I want to state my surprise, dismay, and disappointment with the third concern noted," he wrote. "It is absolutely unacceptable that such fears and feelings exist."
Johnston noted that anybody considering a move to Thompson will look closely at education as a potentially crucial factor in their decision to move. After seeing several superintendents, assistant superintendents, and high school principals and vice-principals in the last few years, Johnston reasoned, they might have second thoughts about subjecting their children to a school system in that sort of turmoil.
