UNION COUNTY, NC Local Charlotte News – Students, parents and teachers held a protest Monday against the firing of a popular principal at Union Day School. They say the school board is not being transparent about its business, and there’s no accountability for the board’s decisions.
Teachers tell Local 46 the school has had six heads of school in five years.
Union Day School is a public charter school, which receives public funding, but its board members elect themselves, so teachers, parents and students say they have no say on who is on the board and there is no accountability for decisions.
Students, teachers and parents say their voices are being silenced.
“Everything has just been so shady. It’s just been done so secretively,” said Jennifer Davidson, a teacher.
Teachers at Union Day School are against what they refer to as the “firing” of Head of School, Matthew Hamilton.
Teachers tell Local 46 Hamilton was walked off campus Friday with his young child who is a student.
“We want to know where all of this came from. We want to know why this decision was made and we want to make it loud and clear that we object to this decision,” said Kristen Evans, a teacher.
Teachers say there was no notice of a school board meeting beforehand, no actual meeting, and very little explanation, except rumblings of a complaint or two about a “hostile work environment” under Hamilton, which is something teachers say they disagree with.
“We say that that is a bunch of crap. Mr. Hamilton was an amazing leader. He led this school in many ways from the top down. He built a phenomenal leadership team,” said James Parker, a teacher.
On Monday, there was even more change at Union Day School.
State Representative Mark Brody, a Republican, was pulled off Union Day School’s website as a member of the school’s board.
Brody tells Local 46 he asked to be replaced a while ago because of other commitments, but he just found out he’s been rotated off the board, and he’s unaware if the board had any meetings prior to Hamilton’s departure.
Students and teachers are crying out for change after constant turnover at the top.
“Just with any job, if your leadership keeps changing over and over again, that’s extremely difficult for the students and for themselves (teachers),” said Jenny Mrkobrad, a parent and president of the PA.
Teachers tell Local 46 Hamilton was at Union Day School all last school year. They say he started in the summer of 2020.
The school board released a statement saying they can’t talk about any of this because it’s a personnel matter.
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