Ruth Miller under a different name

Principal backs off

 

 Winnacunnet High School Principal Ruth Leveille reads her statement outside a School Board meeting after deciding not to go through with a public hearing on the non-renewal of her contract.( alias Ruth Miller) 

By Susan Morse and Patrick Cronin

Posted Jun. 3, 2005 at 2:00 AM
Updated Feb 1, 2011 at 1:38 AM

HAMPTON — Winnacunnet High School Principal Ruth Leveille withdrew her right to a public meeting on the non-renewal of her contract Thursday night, just as the hearing was about to begin.

"Because we didn't think we'd get a fair determination," Leveille's attorney Andru Volinsky said afterwards as he quickly followed Leveille out of the school.

Despite deciding not to go through with the hearing, Leveille had asked to read her statement in public. The request was refused by the School Board. The board closed the hearing, to much applause from the 30 to 40 people in attendance, most of them teachers and staff.

"Anyone who wants to hear what I have to say can follow me to the hallway," Leveille said, leaving the room.

Leveille left after reading a four-page statement to an estimated dozen people who had followed her out of the library, where the hearing was to have taken place. Leveille cited her accomplishments during her three-year tenure as principal and gave examples of how her position has been compromised, particularly, she said, since Vice Principal Randy Zito was hired last July.

Leveille said she was not asking for her job back.

"I wish for the year's notice of non-renewal in my contract to be honored and that the community and board will at least meet me partway," she said.

There was no further explanation.

SAU 21 Superintendent James Gaylord notified Leveille he was not renewing her contract in December, she said on Friday.

Leveille and her attorney left before they could be asked if they were considering a lawsuit against the school district. Leveille said Friday she planned no lawsuit. She could not be reached after the hearing.

The School Board and council had been meeting since 5:30 p.m., preparing for the hearing. When the meeting opened at 6:15 p.m., Volinsky said, "Given the events of the last 15 minutes, we have no confidence that we will receive a fair hearing."

Volinsky said afterwards he had spoken to school counsel before the meeting, but did not otherwise explain what had happened in those 15 minutes. It is unclear whether Leveille went into the hearing with the intention to cancel it.

School Board Chairwoman Susan Kepner said the board was ready to give Leveille a fair hearing. The superintendent was going to call witnesses and give reasons why Leveille wasn't renominated, she said.

Leveille said leadership was the reason given to her by Gaylord in December.

Teachers and staff have been tight-lipped on Leveille's non-renewal, which was revealed by the principal on Friday.

Art teacher Linda Varney attended the hearing. She said what has been printed in the newspaper (mostly Leveille's side of the story because administrators have had little to say) has not necessarily reflected the way things have happened.

According to Leveille, after Zito was hired in July, he was given most of her responsibilities, including overseeing the assistant principals and teachers.

Zito was formerly a principal in Newmarket.

"Ruth and I shared administrative duties," Zito said after the hearing. "I supervised, because of my experience, the three assistant principals."

Zito said it was not unusual for staff to report to the vice principal, as was the case when he was an assistant principal at Winnacunnet 10 years earlier and reported to then Vice Principal Joe Burno.

Zito said he was brought in, "to help heal a staff that wasn't getting along, to help the principal. Ruth and I have had a good relationship."

Kepner confirmed the board realigned Leveille's duties after Zito was hired in July.

The board is expected to begin a search for a new principal.

Timeline of Ruth Leveille at Winnacunnet

l May 2002 - The Winnacunnet School Board appoints Ruth Leveille to replace retiring Principal Judeann Langlois. She was selected out of 30 applicants.

l August 2002 - Leveille holds three meetings to give parents a chance to meet her and hear her vision for Winnacunnet High School. At those meetings, Leveille asked three questions: What are the strengths of WHS, what are the needs of WHS and what advice would you give the new principal?

l November 2002 - Leveille unveils a new mission statement for WHS to School Board. It is unanimously supported.

l December 2002 - Leveille goes before School Board with a proposed trimester schedule for students. The board later approved the proposal and it was implemented in the 2003-2004 school year.

l January 2003 - Leveille vows at School Board meeting to go anywhere, talk to anyone, even one-to-one, in pursuit of voter approval of the school's $24.8 million building project.

l March 2003 - Voters rejected the renovation/building project for third year in a row.

l April 2003 - Leveille unveils a plan for four associate principals, one for each grade, two curriculum coordinators, an experienced-based education coordinator, an athletic director, a guidance director, and a special education director.

l May 2003 - James Gaylord is hired to replace interim Superintendent David Brown.

l September 2003 - Leveille tells the committee planning for next spring's vote on the Winnacunnet High School building and renovation project that targeting the parents of middle schools is key if the project is to be approved.

l November 2003 - The preliminary results of the evaluation of WHS by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges are positive overall. The major concern from the organization, which accredits high schools, was the building of the high school itself.

l February 2004 - Leveille visits all the towns in the district to gain support for the $26.4 million renovation project.

l March 2004 - The $26.4 million building and renovation project passes.

l April 2004 - Leveille is offered a new one-year contract.

l May 2004 - Associate Principal Fred Muscara announces that he plans to leave Winnacunnet at the end of the year. He later is appointed interim principal at Hampton Academy Junior High.

l May 2004 - The Winnacunnet School Board holds a non-public meeting with administrators at Winnacunnet. Leveille is not invited.

l July 2004 - Randy Zito, who was a former English teacher and assistant principal, is hired in a newly created position of vice principal.

l July 2004 - The School Board in conjunction with Gaylord realigns duties of the principal and vice principal.

l September 2004 - The new school year starts. Zito oversees the four assistant principals, the two curriculum directors, the athletic director and all teachers. Leveille oversees the facilities manager, technology director, special education director and the food service director.

l October 2004 - Leveille hosts a community forum on drug and alcohol abuse at Winnacunnet High School.

l November 2004 - Leveille invites parents, teachers and members of the community to an informal meeting to brainstorm ways to address issues of substance abuse among teens.

l December 2004 - Leveille comes under fire by several members of the National Honor Society for her decision to induct 11 members into the group who had been denied.

l December 2004 - Gaylord tells Leveille that he will not be renewing her contract next year. Leveille asks Gaylord to buy out her contract.

l March 2005 - School Board agrees with Gaylord's recommendation not to renew her one-year contract.

l May 2005 - Leveille goes public and appeals Gaylord's decision to the School Board.

HMMMMMMM DOES THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE KNOW ABOUT THIS SCHOOL?? SEEMS   SHE HAS A BUILDING  PROJECT EVERYWHERE SHE GOES , AFTER ALL ITS JUST YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK. .. DOES ANYONE SEE A PATTERN HERE? DOES NOT COMMUNICATE WELL WITH OTHERS , LOVES TO BUILD NEW BUILDINGS OR BUY THEM , AND HAS TEACHERS JUMPING SHIP. PVRS WE HAVE A PROBLEM. 


More : Watch out home schooled parents

Winnacunnet punts discriminatory policy

In August, a Winnacunnet-area Home School Legal Defense Association member family asked permission for their child to participate on one of the school's athletic teams. Winnacunnet School District denied the request, saying that district policy required students on sports teams to be "full-time" enrolled, but only two homeschool courses could count toward the four courses required for full-time status.

On September 23, HSLDA faxed a letter to the chairman of the Winnacunnet School Board explaining that this policy was unlawful. House Bill 631, a new state law enacted during the last legislative session, expands the right of homeschool families to have access to academic and non-academic activities. H.B. 631 also prohibits school systems from adopting a policy toward homeschoolers that would be more restrictive than the policy governing its own students in the same classes or activities.

Winnacunnet's policy clearly placed more restrictions on homeschoolers than on its own students. It also appeared to violate the right of homeschool families to the equal protection of laws as guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution and appeared to violate New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated �193:1-c-II which prohibits any government agency from using the access statute to impose requirements on homeschool families in excess of what is required under the homeschool statute.

To foster a relationship of goodwill and mutual respect, HSLDA requested that the school board comply with the law.

To her credit, Winnacunnet High School Principal Ruth Leveille wrote the family the very next day: "You are welcome to have access to all co-curricular programs at Winnacunnet High School."

The following day, the school board gave initial approval to a comprehensive home education policy, eliminating the discriminatory restriction that only two homeschool classes could count toward full-time enrollment. We expect final passage of this policy to follow in short order, and we appreciate Winnacunnet's prompt action.

� Scott W. Somerville

• WHS principal is let go

• 
   0
• 

   Zoom

  Ruth Leveille
• By Susan Morse and Patrick Cronin

  
  Posted May. 31, 2005 at 2:00 AM
  Updated Feb 1, 2011 at 1:32 AM
  
  

  HAMPTON — Winnacunnet High School Principal Ruth Leveille has called for a public School Board meeting for parents and others to hear the reasons why Superintendent James Gaylord is letting her go.

  The public hearing is scheduled to be held on Thursday at 6 p.m., in the library at Winnacunnet.

  Leveille said she was told in December by Gaylord that her one-year contract was not being renewed.

  "He said I didn't get along with the other administrators," Leveille said as the reason she was given. *( who would of guessed)

  "In December, when he told me of his intention to non-renew me, I got an attorney," she said.

  Other reasons have been given to Leveille's attorney, Andrew Volinsky of Manchester, and will be made public on Thursday, she said. She was not willing to discuss them before the Thursday session.

  Leveille said her position has been compromised since July, when Gaylord and the School Board hired Randy Zito in a newly created position of vice principal.

  "It all started last May. The School Board had a clandestine meeting with subordinates," she said, meaning administrators. The result was the hiring of Zito, she said.

  "The end result, they hired the vice principal and gave him all of the authority I had," she said. "They've been essentially paying for two principals."

  At the hearing, Leveille has the opportunity to present her job performance, which is heard by the School Board. The board will then make the final decision whether to rehire her.

  "The end of June, my contract will expire unless at the hearing the board wants a contract," said Leveille.

  Gaylord could not be reached for comment by deadline.

  Zito also could not be reached for comment.Winnacunnet School Board Chairwoman Susan Kepner said the board found out about Gaylord's recommendation in March.

  Her name was on the annual list of non-renewals that went before the board for approval.

  Kepner said the board unanimously supported Gaylord's recommendation.

  When asked what Gaylord's reasoning was in not recommending Leveille a new contract, she said it concerned leadership.  bingo!!Seems this problem continues to follow her .

  She further stated that the board has not discussed the matter with Leveille because she is being represented by an attorney.

  After Zito was hired in July, Leveille said she told Gaylord to buy out her contract, since it was obvious he was setting up Zito as principal. Gaylord never responded, she said.

  For the past 10 months, said Leveille, Zito has assumed most of her former duties.

  Zito, who was a former associate principal at Winnacunnet for more than decade, was hired without her input, she said.

  "The whole thing compromised my position," she said.

  She said Zito oversees the four assistant principals, the two curriculum directors and the athletic director; while Leveille oversaw the special education director; the facilities manager; the technology director and the food service director. Zito oversaw all teachers, Leveille said.

  Kepner said the School Board never received a formal request to buy out Leveille's contract. If they did, they probably wouldn't have gone along with it.

  "What does buying out a contract say?" asked Kepner. "What message does that say to the taxpayer?"

  She also denied the board was setting Zito up to be principal.

  "We brought him in as vice principal to help out," said Kepner.

  At the time, Kepner said there were many issues to deal with, including the building project and implementing recommendations made in the evaluation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, which accredits high schools.

  Kepner said the decision to realign duties was made by the School Board in conjunction with the superintendent.

  "She is still the principal of the school," said Kepner. "Zito reports to her."

  Leveille said she is very disappointed that she's leaving, that she cares deeply about the community and that she intended to stay at Winnacunnet. She has been there for three years.

  Leveille is not considering a lawsuit at this time, she said.

  Under her tenure, she said, the Winnacunnet building project went forward and the Seacoast Safety Net drug and alcohol abuse group was formed.

  Winnacunnet was Leveille's first job as principal. The first two years she served under a two-year contract; this year under a one-year contract. She is tenured, which means she is entitled to a reason for not being renewed, she said.

  Prior to her tenure in Hampton, Leveille was director of continuing education at Timberlane High School for six years; worked at Pinkerton for four years; and was assistant principal at Pembroke Academy for three years.

  Leveille, of Hampton, is working on her doctorate degree. The decision not to renew her contract will make finding another job hard, she said.

  At Thursday's meeting, she said, "I just want them to objectively listen."

  Kepner said the School Board will go into Thursday's hearing with an open mind.

  "This is difficult for everyone involved," said Kepner. "I hope we can bring this to a resolution and get on with educating children."

  When asked to comment about Leveille's decision to hold the meeting in public, School Board member Brenda Quackenbush said she was surprised by the move.

  "It's a personnel issue and typically those are discussed in nonpublic," said Quackenbush.

  Leveille said after the hearing is completed, the board has 15 days to make a decision.

  
  Zito  goes on to be honored
  

  WHS Principal Honored  "State Association Cites Randy Zito as a 'Role Model'

   "It's inadequate praise to what he has done for the faculty, to the building and for the students who go here."

  James Gaylord
  SAU 21 superintendent

  http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/history/schools/WHS/WHS_Zito_honoredHU%2020090116.htm