VICTORY!

Some MNEA members may recall the story about Jennings NEA President Donna Hall, “When good teaching isn’t enough,” which ran in the January/February 2002 Something Better. That story has a happy ending.

For those of you who don’t know the story, Hall taught first grade for 21 years in the Jennings School District. During that time, she never received an unsatisfactory rating on her evaluations. She was the local president for the Jennings EA. In May 2002, after a change in the school’s administration, the district filed termination charges against this longstanding teacher. Her new principal alleged that Donna had been insubordinate on three occasions during the preceding two years.

Missouri NEA represented Hall through the school board hearing, appeal to the circuit court level, and finally appeal to Missouri Court of Appeals.

In the summer of 2004, the parties agreed to settle the case. Hall received back wages and attorneys’ fees. But best of all, she has returned to her job teaching at Fairview Elementary.