In what trustee Rob Pellizzaro described as a "public rebuke" and "public statement," the School District of Mystery Lake board of trustees unanimously voted April 27 to extend R.D. Parker Collegiate principal Ryan Land's probationary employment status to a second academic year.
The board acknowledged such an extension is an unusual step.
Although the school board wouldn't specify why they were leaving Land on probation, Pellizzaro did add that the measure was a "public statement" about Land and another option, which the board decided against, was to terminate his employment. When discussing the fact that Land will have to prove himself to the board to keep his job, Pellizzaro added Land "should not count on it."
Pellizzaro went on to denounce employees who try to "manipulate the board by influence" and said that many employees at R. D. Parker Collegiate knew more than they should have known about some incidents, but would not explain further.
Trustee Valerie Wilson, a former chair of the board, said although it is highly unusual for the board to comment publicly on a personnel issue, they were forced to because the issue surrounding Land had become so widespread.
"This has become so public, the speculation in the community is rife to the point where people have contacted the mayor urging him to take action against this school board." Wilson adds people have also contacted Mayor Tim Johnston asking him to review the school board.
When it came time to vote on keeping Land on probation, the board passed the motion unanimously.
Land holds a Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Education degree with dual specializations in educational leadership administration and curriculum and teaching and learning.
He has worked in many schools, including in Leicester, England; Winnipeg and Ste. Anne in Manitoba; Humboldt and Blake Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan; as well as in Ghana before coming to Thompson, where he was the founding principal of the first Canadian international school in West Africa.
Last school year started out with long-time principal Kathleen Kelson at the helm and three vice-principals, Eric Overall and Warren Quinley, both brought out of retirement for their posts, along with technical vocational vice-principal Grant Kreuger.
By Jan. 12, 2009, as the second semester rolled around, Kelson was gone to the newly-created post of "school district community connector," to in the words of the board of trustees, "meet with students, families and school staff, encouraging communication and understanding through the development of personal relationships" so students would "have every chance of succeeding in the public educational system."
Overall moved up to the post of acting principal for the remainder of the school year. Rob Watt, a teacher at R.D. Parker since 1995, replaced Overall as a vice-principal Feb. 2, 2009.
Kreuger and Watt stayed on as vice-principals, joined by Wally Itson, a Californian best known as a popular music teacher working with the school's music bands. Itson, who has also taught in Colorado, as well as the Los Angeles and Orange County area where he was born and raised, previously traded in a music-teaching role to work as a vice-principal.
The Thompson Citizen contacted Land about the board's comments and actions April 28. He said that although he'd "love to" comment about the issue, legally he cannot.
