MOUNDSVILLE - The battle between teachers and two administrators at John Marshall High School is continuing as the teachers have rejected a proposed mediation offer.
John Marshall Principal Thomas Wood also is claiming that some of the high school's faculty are guilty of bullying and intimidating administrators - a reversal of the accusations that faculty members have made against Wood and Assistant Principal Connie Young over the treatment of teachers.
Late Wednesday, the Faculty Senate voted 64-5 in a secret ballot to reject an offer made by the Marshall County Board of Education. In the offer, the board intended to contract Rebecca Kender of the same Charleston law firm that currently represents the board to act as a mediator.
The offer came after teachers sent a letter to the board, claiming they are unhappy with the leadership provided by Wood and Young. The teachers alleged they are being "bullied, intimidated and subjected to ridicule" as well as "micromanaged" and "deliberately misinformed."
However, in a statement sent to The Intelligencer, Wood alleges he and his fellow administrators also have been subjected to the same abuse.
"We have been bullied, intimidated by certain faculty members who are using the press to try and make us respond," Wood said. "Do we enforce federal and state policies? Yes we do. We can't teach the law and choose not to follow it."
He said he has yet to see any evidence of the "intolerable environment in which they say they work."
After receiving the letter from the teachers, the Board of Education met in executive session Tuesday and drafted the mediation offer, which Faculty Senate President Josh Gary said does not address the issues in their letter.
"We feel it was not a good faith gesture to offer a mediator from the law firm that represents the Marshall County administration and the Marshall County school board," Gary said.
Gary said it is Superintendent Fred Renzella's duty to investigate the "serious grievances" regarding the school administration and the rest of the county schools.
"We believe the investigation should be carried out by an unbiased third party and the full findings should be disclosed at the conclusion of the investigation," Gary added. "The wounds are too deep and the damage is too pervasive in our school for mediation to effectively resolve our differences."
Gary noted the primary concern of all teachers at the school is to provide an optimal learning environment.
Wood agreed in his statement, noting many accomplishments he claims the school has made over the past three years. Last year, the school was named a National Blue Ribbon School, the only one in West Virginia, and was also accepted into the Successful Practices Network by the International Center for Leadership, Wood said.
He also said his job is to ensure not only a safe environment for students, but to also make sure they receive the best education possible, which may include changes in how students are taught.
"My belief is 'students first,'" Wood said. "Gone are the days when the teachers can go into a room, shut the door and do what they want. It's all about O and A ... ownership and accountability, and teachers must be accountable for providing the best education possible for our students.
"How we must teach our students must change also and that is another goal for John Marshall High School," Wood added. "As head principal, I must take ownership of all issues and teachers must be accountable for providing the best education possible for our students. That's the mission I accepted on behalf of the parents of this county. I won't let them down."
Teachers from John Marshall are scheduled to attend the next Marshall County Board of Education meeting, which is set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the board of education office, Fourth Street, Moundsville.