By Jeff Schoellkopf
Part 1
I am calling on the Washington West Supervisory Union (WWSU) board to sanction superintendent Sheffert Nease and commence a full investigation of her motives and capabilities. Enough is enough!
I am highly concerned about the liability the superintendent is exposing us taxpayers to with her slanderous and unwarranted public accusations, but more importantly she appears to be operating with a complete lack of the very important sense of scale, personal respect and integrity which have been hallmarks of our community for many decades.
I have known Dr. Lehner for over 25 years and have had three children greatly benefit from the wonderful education and guidance they have received at Warren Elementary School. In three decades of service, he built arguably the finest elementary education program the district has ever had and one of the finest in the state. Dr. Lehner is one of the most respected, trusted and dedicated educators The Valley has been fortunate to have serve. In my experience, he has always been thoughtful, kind, helpful, respectful, engaging, creative, patient and circumspect. From what I have read and heard, I see none of those characteristics in the superintendent.
This latest news following the events of the past year smacks of a witch hunt. It is outrageous and preposterous. I find the response from the state Department of Education equally surprising and unwarranted. I would also call on our legislators to request the governor’s office review the situation and evaluate the department’s position on this.
Something is very rotten in the WWSU management and we need some severe and immediate action here!
Part 2
And furthermore ... to the positive:
All the district schools are great in many ways – but here’s what I know of Warren of the past 20-some years – and I challenge the superintendent to match this with any school in the state. Here are just a few observations:
Lots of nice, sweet, loving, caring and bright kids and great modeling by Dr. Lehner and his staff. With lots of tolerance, respect for diversity, boys and girls treated equally and fairly.
Lots of our kids striving as they move on in academics, in athletics, in performance, in arts, in culinary arts, in volunteer service and in military service.
Lots of very confident and adventurous children in the mountains here and far away, biking to South America, sailing across the Atlantic, building a boat and going for the Mekong. I’m all for playground safety, but we raise kids who jump off cliffs on skis and bikes around here!
We have produced at least two Olympic athletes and loads of very healthy (and safe) kids – my goodness – however did they survive Warren Elementary School?
Many have reached high for higher education – just a few I know of include kids who have gone on to UVM, Harvard, Brown, RISD, DU, Middlebury, USF, American U in Paris.
Many, many have grown up with some dedication to service – in our community, at Warren United Church, in Rwanda, Uganda, the Vermont Food Bank, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand – often in projects involving the support and education of disadvantaged youth.
Many of our kids have learned to love music and theatrical performance and to be confident on stage and in public. Many move on to stoke Valley Players and Harwood performances – amazing musicians, dancers, circus performers and singers.
I know we are blessed with many great and dedicated educators in the district and great elementary programs. I hold Warren Elementary School to be among the finest in no small part due to the effective leadership and deep dedication of Dr. Lehner. He should be being honored by the WWSU, not victimized.
Jeff Schoellkopf lives in Warren.
