Alpha school board, administrators to vote on bringing second-grade teacher back to classroom

ALPHA | Officials will be voting at their next school board meeting on whether to rehire second-grade teacher Christine Vander Valk.

The teacher's name was not on a list of district rehires at the May 5 Alpha Board of Education meeting, prompting a large turnout of parents and colleagues who spoke in support of Vander Valk.

Chief School Administrator Donna Medea would not discuss specifics about Vander Valk, citing the issue as a personnel matter.

However, she acknowledged the reversal seemed like the right decision for borough residents.

"It's just something that I felt would be best to be done for the benefit of the school and the community," Medea said.

Alpha Education Association President Ernest Kaminiski said he believed last week's crowd, whose testaments about Vander Valk lasted more than a half-hour, was helpful to the board and administrators.

"No question about it," Kaminski said. "I think (the public's) influence was a major factor in the decision that was made."

Vander Valk had been a teacher at the school for two years and was eligible for tenure in the 2009-10 school year. She is due to have a child in June and experienced complications, resulting in several weeks out of work.

Parents spoke of the second-grade teacher's influence on their youngsters and pleaded with the board to reconsider her place at the school.

Kaminiski said the union supported Vander Valk's plans for a hearing in front of the school board for their reconsideration.

School Board President Michael Jenkins declined to comment. He said the board will vote Tuesday on rehiring Vander Valk.

Kaminiski said he believed the district's reversal was the right choice.

"We're pretty happy about the reversal. We think they made a great decision in bringing Christine back," he said.

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