Teachers express concern over McCalla contract

High school principal Eric McCalla addressed the class of 2018, his first MHS graduating class. (Mirror file photo courtesy Unforgettable Photos).

At the June 21 Board of Education meeting, the board voted 4-3 against extending Junior/Senior High School Principal and Athletic Director, Eric McCalla's, contract until June 30, 2023.

McCalla remains under contract for the 2021-22 school year, but the board declined to extend his contract beyond its current June 30, 2022 expiration date.

The surprise decision (a similar extension of other administrators' contracts passed unanimously), without discussion, has teachers "worried," according to teachers' union president Leslie Rollins.

"The teachers are really worried," she said. "Those who have talked to me about it told me they work with Eric every day ... why weren't we given a chance for input? Every teacher who contacted me had positive things to say about him and how he works with the staff. I believe that speaks to who he is."

To express her concern, Rollins wrote an email to all board members, with copies to Superintendent Brad Bezeau and McCalla. "Speaking on behalf of the teachers in my building, we are all very worried that because of this decision, Eric will leave," she said. "Eric is well regarded and respected amongst the Jr./Sr. high staff. We feel he genuinely cares about the teachers, staff, and students and has our backs when necessary."

Also at the June 21 board meeting, the board adopted McCalla's recommendation to move the Senior High School schedule to a "5x5" schedule. This will be a new direction for the district, changing classes to 5 classes of 70 minutes each per day. One benefit presented by McCalla is that it could give students an opportunity to pursue more elective and/or AP classes, and also allow some courses to be accelerated into one semester.

"If we move forward with this, (McCalla) is the only one in our district that has experience with this schedule," Rollins wrote. "We are counting on him to help us transition to a different teaching and learning model. If he were to leave before or during that transition time, it's likely to be disastrous and will put us all in a bad position, including kids."

Board President Ryan Novess said, "In regards to the contract, the feeling is that as presented to the board, the dual role of athletic director and principal did not serve the best interests of the district's growth and health. A dedicated person in each of those positions would be more ideal for the district."

It was unclear from Novess' response whether this was discussed directly with McCalla prior to the vote. "Unfortunately, I can't get into details surrounding evaluation and performance as those topics are to be confidential. If/when issues are brought to a board member, those are passed along to the Superintendent to be addressed," he said.

Superintendent Brad Bezeau's recommendation was that McCalla's contract be extended, but the board voted against that proposal. Because the board’s vote might also be seen as a vote of “no confidence” in the Superintendent, we asked both Novess and Bezeau about the unusual step the board took, but neither commented on that aspect.

Bezeau commented, "It's important to note that this was a contract extension to extend Mr. McCalla's current contract for an additional year, and not a contract renewal piece. This item is present in all of the administrative contracts and something that we present to the Board of Education to meet these clauses and the contractual language and obligations. The Board of Education voted to not extend the current contract, but this does not impact the current agreement.

"Regarding next year at Manchester Junior/Senior High School, I look forward to my continued work with Mr. McCalla and the entire staff as we implement the five period block schedule and continue to expand the opportunities for our students after a very difficult, but successful year in navigating the COVID-19 global pandemic."

Asked whether the board is prepared for the possibility of a search process, Novess said, "If Mr. McCalla does look for, and finds, another job, the board and Superintendent would be prepared to conduct a search for his replacement. Finding a permanent hire would be the best, but filling both roles with an interim status may be needed and something that would be also prepared for. If Mr. McCalla does stay, the responsibility would be on the Superintendent to monitor (his) performance for the year.

Rollins concluded, "Eric has been great to work with (as union president) and he has been very helpful in regards to grievances. If there is an issue, he talks it out with me and we solve the problem. Problem solving is one of Eric's best attributes. Finally, Eric's leadership during a pandemic was unprecedented and I believe he deserves praise and reward for the work with a contract extension."

The next Board of Education meeting will be held on July 19, 2021 at 6 pm, in-person and via YouTube.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.