Teachers union president calls for North High principal's ouster
Lisa Dyer, principal of North High School, speaks during a meeting March 19 at Worcester City Hall on safety issues t the school. At right is Meghan Milonopoulos, lead teacher for safety and accountability at the school. (T&G Staff File Photo/STEVE LANAVA)
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Text of email from Lisa Dyer (PDF, 100 K )
WORCESTER — The president of the Worcester teachers union Tuesday called for the principal of North High School to resign or be fired for writing an "unprofessional" email to faculty Sunday, blasting an opinion column written by a teacher.
"What she did was unacceptable, and is unacceptable in any field," Leonard Zalauskas, president of the Educational Association of Worcester, said Tuesday. "(I am) calling for the immediate resignation or termination of Principal Lisa Dyer based on her unprofessional behavior."
Mr. Zalauskas' call is in reaction to an email Ms. Dyer sent to faculty and staff at the school Sunday concerninga column written for Worcester Magazine by contributor and North High teacher Janice Harvey.
"Let's just say if we didn't have race relation problems before, we certainly have them now," Ms. Dyer wrote in her email, accusing Ms. Harvey of unfairly criticizing a group of community activists and of aligning herself with a controversial blogger she labeled racist.
"In one sentence, she disrespects Dr. Boone, Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools, and aligns withTurtleboy Sports, a troll, known for his ability to incite causing maximum disruption and argument, particularly around issues of race for this troll," Ms. Dyer wrote.
The March 26 piece by Ms. Harvey questioned the motives of the Coming Together Collective — a group of leaders of organizations involving people of color that came out in support of the district's beleaguered superintendent on March 17.
Ms. Harvey said some leaders of color would stand to "profit" were racial turmoil to develop surrounding the situation at North High and Ms. Boone, who is the city's first African-American superintendent. Ms. Harvey said she did not believe racism had anything to do with the school's problems, writing that staff and students alike are "colorblind" and that conditions at the school have improved since police were added.
The comments did not sit well with Ms. Dyer.
"She re-hashes the negative events we suffered and have begun to overcome, and in my opinion, underestimates all the hard work staff has done in the building to turn things around, crediting the police instead," Ms. Dyer wrote.
Ms. Dyer said that Ms. Harvey unfairly criticized the collective, which includes leaders of color in the city including, she said, pastors, reverends, North High teachers, parents and city councilors.
Ms. Dyer said the collective legitimately came together to address perceived racism on the TurtleBoy Sports Teachers union president calls for North High principal's ouster - Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram.com: