ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.
The public’s trust in public institutions erodes when they conceal the truth.
Two good examples of this disturbing trend surfaced earlier this month with the announcements of “retirements” of two Wayland Union School District administrators, Steeby Elementary Principal Mike Haverdink and Pine Street Elementary Principal Jennifer Moushegian.
Though neither has yet reached his or her 50th birthday, both have announced they are leaving at the end of the academic year. It’s strange enough that two school principals are leaving, with their jobs posted just four days apart on the Allegan Area Educational Services Agency web site. It’s even stranger that both are under 50 and no satisfactory explanation has been offered to the public.
It is not far-fetched nor is it prying for the people in the district to wonder what’s going on here. Yet the public is being shut out of learning if it’s just a coincidence, or as Bob Dylan sang in “Ballad of a Thin Man” almost 55 years ago:
“Something is happening here, but you don’t what it is. Do you, Mr. Jones?”
I figured out Haverdink’s retirement by paying attention and connecting the dots in the publishing of the minutes of a work session. I then e-mailed Superintendent Norm Taylor and Haverdink to ask if it was true and why. Taylor confirmed the retirement and Haverdink replied with a terse statement and then later took umbrage with my “less than stellar” story.
I wrongly suggested Haverdink had cancer and afterward published a public apology. Otherwise, I stand by my story.
The Steeby principal suggested I retire and asserted I am guilty of misinformation and spreading fake news. I had noted he was on medical leave in 2018, when he was absent from accepting an award on his school’s behalf. He flatly asserted his medical condition and history was nobody’s business.
His anger and protestations led me to believe there’s something else going on, a charge he vehemently denied.
In the case of Ms. Moushegian, she did not answer either of my e-mails inquiring about her “retirement.” It made me sad because I’ve had a long and cordial relationship and with her late father and mother.
I need to be clear that I have no evidence there’s something unsavory going on.
But when two public school administrators step down in the same month before they turn 50 years old, the people have a right to ask why. And I was asking on their behalf.
This obfuscation really isn’t anything new. Corporations so often will tell the public their CEO or high mucky-muck has resigned, “to spend more time with his (of her) family.” All this does is leave people to wonder and prove the organization is not transparent, which apparently is OK for private business, but not the public sector supported by public tax dollars.
It was a little more than seven years ago that I made a mortal enemy out of Wayland Chamber of Commerce Director Denise Behm for suggesting she was speaking with a forked tongue about the reason she left her new job at the Gun Lake Casino after less than a week because she missed her friends and colleagues three miles away in Wayland. But at least Ms. Behm made an attempt to explain.
Wayland Union Schools, Mr. Haverdink and Ms. Moushegian have been very public figures for quite some time and their departures under unusual circumstances should be better explained than with silence or “It’s none of your business.”
The public deserves much better than that.
Contrary to what anyone “thinks”, they have no right for anyone”s explanation on their reasons for leaving. Maybe they are burnt out of managing and the responsibility that goes with the jobs. Maybe they have medical or personal reasons – again, none of which the public has a need or right to know. Please cease and desist. It’s not your business nor anyone else to know.
unfamiliar with Wayland administration, but in 30 years of classroom teaching I witnessed many principals who chose to go to less stress situations. Many moved to different districts to avoid possible baggage of when they were administrators. It is not a reflection on their former school district.
DTOM, these are public employees, paid by the citizens of the Wayland Union School district. It is not unreasonable for taxpayers to have this information considering that they constitute one third of the school administrators of the district. For this high percentage to announce their leaving at such a young age within weeks of each other raises, at the very least, a caution flag. The lack of response when questioned by local news causes some speculation as to the causes. If the reasons are personal, those involved have the opportunity to politely decline to answer, or to give a stock response such as health reasons or to spend more time with family. To fail to respond might seem, to some, suspicious. As long as taxpayers are paying the salaries, they do have some rights to information.
Ms. Nandeville,
Contrary to your belief, these two retiring administrators owe the public nothing. Unless they are leaving because of malfeasence, fraud, disciplinary reasons.or poor performance, no explanation is required. If the school superintendent wants to make a comment about their retirement, that’s up to him. Whether it is a public or private school, when retiring, a school employee doesn’t need to give you or the public reasons for doing so.
When “local news” reports fake news, you expect these two employees to reach out now? The only comments here should be, Thank you Mr Haverdink and Ms. Moushegian for your service to Wayland Union Schools and enjoy your retirement. Salute
Everyone is correct. These leaving may for whatever reason decline to answer…yes the public has a responsibility to inquire.
Having once been a similar situation I found as the person exiting saying “No comment ” than pointed inquiring minds to question the employer .
It has been my observation that good people “voluntarily leaving” in close succession can be a signal the ” ship ” may not be sinking, but surely taking on more water than it can safely handle.
Nothing is gained by badgering those that leave…it is worthwhile to keep a close eyes on the institution they are exiting.
Working as an administrator for a public school district like Wayland Union Schools has gone from a job that had occasional headaches and expected stress levels that come with the job as a principal to a blizzard of paper work, reports on everything from environmental reports for buildings, individual education plans (IEP’s) for students with special needs that can range from autism, dyslexia to physically challenged and working with staff.
Being a principal is a unique job because you are the individual parents look at as the “Go to” person if they are concerned with their child’s school experience but also they are the conduit and sometimes buffer between the staff and the leadership in district’s main offices. Principals are the people calling staff meetings to remind their teaching staff that each teacher’s curriculum for their class has to be designed to maximize the standardized test scores our state relies on to measure school effectiveness because test scores effect state funding, individual teacher, school and district public perception.
When test scores are made public we see combined numbers for a district and individual schools within the district. What those test results don’t tell us are the number of special needs children that are integrated into classrooms, the number of paraprofessionals that each school or teacher may have in their classroom or the ration of paraprofessionals to students requiring extra assistance based on their IEP’s.
Because there is extra state funding for special needs students, each district is going to try to identify students who fit parameters so the school districts aren’t leaving money on the table by under reporting. That is the funding that helps pay for teachers with special education certification and the paraprofessional that assist them. Its up to the principal to play a part in this funding paper chase to make sure their building isn’t getting short changed. Something their predecessors didn’t have dumped on their already full plates.
I find it unique that a school district the size of Wayland Union Schools is losing 50% of it’s elementary principals in the same school year and each principal announced their decision to leave within a short time span. It does beg the question of why. Because it’s a public school system there will be questions. Like it or not when you work in public school administration and have a leadership position as a principal you should expect questions to arise.
It could be that the principals have found other opportunities in education as administrators (or returning to the classroom) at another district instate or in a warmer climate. There is competition for administrators and districts that pay more than Wayland Union Schools. Former principals also join the private sector as education consultants, consult for school bond issues, bond sales and work for lobbyists.
Its unfortunate Mr. Young alluded to a possible health issue that was denied. Mr. Haverdink’s response is understandable. Lesson learned is never comment on rumor’s the subject refuses to
Following the recent Bond Issue passage – here in a nutshell, was the Board of Education’s and Superintendent’s building management problem to solve –
1. SUBTRACTING one-third of the staff and students from Steeby (requiring LESS supervision)
2. ADDING one-third to the staff and students to the Middle School (requiring MORE supervision)
3. EQUALS reworking both building’s budgets.