Winnetka School District 36 will host a "public hearing on the question of dismissals" Tuesday evening, prior to its monthly board meeting.
"The Board is required to hold a hearing of this nature whenever the number of honorable dismissal notices exceeds five or is 150% greater than the average in the preceding three years," according to District 36's website, and is a continuation of staffing discussions that have occurred at the last two board meetings.
Earlier: Despite Public Outrage, School Board Votes to Dismiss Teacher Without Pay
The meeting comes six days after fourth-grade teacher David Wartik was dismissed and suspended without pay. Wartik, a tenured teacher at Hubbard Woods School, had been put on leave due to concerns about an Evanston police investigation into a possible incident that happened in the late 1990s at a private North Shore school.
In light of the series of meetings this evening, Winnetka-Glencoe Patch wants to hear your thoughts on Wartik's dismissal. Take our poll below and share your thoughts in the comments.
Stay tuned for more District 36 coverage on Patch. Like Winnetka-Glencoe Patch on Facebook to join the conversation.
Betsy Lewis
9:31 am on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
I was shocked and saddened that district 36 would fire an outstanding teacher like David Wartik based on a technicality regarding their internal investigation. As Wartik has yet to be charged with anything by the actual police, I view his dismissal as an over-reaction to unsubstantiated allegations.
Margaret Lamason
11:00 am on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
I do not know whether David Wartik's dismissal was justified or not as we do not know the whole story. It perhaps was a rush to judgement or perhaps swift action was warranted. What I do know is that it was extremely poor judgement to bring him into Skokie school during school hours and subject the children, in whose best interest the dismissal was supposed to serve, to his humiliating parade. Again, guilt or innocence not withstanding, he deserved more privacy and all the children, some of whom he just finished teaching or coaching, didn't need to see him walk the halls as if on his way to the gallows. More thought should have gone into that decision.
Carrie Porter
5:18 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
We closed the poll on Tuesday evening. This is an issue that many in the community care about, and we would love for the conversation to continue in the comments section.
Argle Bargle
7:52 pm on Thursday, March 29, 2012
what did he do?