The RSU 21 School Board of Directors held an emergency meeting on Friday to draft a response to former Chair Erin Nadeau’s resignation.
Nadeau resigned last week following a controversial social media post in which she appeared to compare some teachers who are unhappy with school budget decisions to the KKK.
On Friday, the Board of Directors heard from community members and teachers who said they feel discouraged and unsupported by the district.
Resident Erin Lehane called for support for RSU 21 teachers, who she said are not paid nor treated well enough for the job they are expected to do.
“I’m really discouraged to say the least about what has happened to the school system in Kennebunk,” Lehane said. “As a community, first and foremost, we need to support our teachers.”
In a statement released last week, Superintendent Dr. Terri Cooper denounced Nadeau’s “regrettable” comments and expressed her support for teachers in the district.
But many teachers still do not feel supported by the board. Middle School of the Kennebunks teacher Ellen Jardine said teachers are “really hurting” right now.
“Last week, a teacher came to me to talk about having been called ‘racist’ last fall by another board member,” Jardine said. “This is not an individual incident. This is not unique to an individual person. This seems to be a theme.”
Sea Road School teacher Rachel McCarthy said, through tears, that teachers do not feel supported by the board or the administration.
“We don’t feel supported by our superintendent,” McCarthy said. “We are hurting.”
Following an executive session on Friday, the board of directors released an official statement accepting the resignation of former Board Chair Erin Nadeau and stating that the views expressed by Nadeau do not represent the views of the board.
The board said they are dedicated to restoring trust in the community, which is united by a shared commitment to the students, teachers, and staff of RSU21.
“It’s critically important to us to correct the misunderstanding that we don’t support our staff,” board member Gayle Spofford said Friday. “We support all of our staff.”
Spofford now serves as acting chair until further notice. A new slate of board members will be elected in July.
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