Jane O’Shea resigns, cites issues with board

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Jane O'Shea BWBy Derek Liebig

A Granville principal is resigning at the end of the school year because of a disagreement over educational philosophy.

Jane O’Shea, principal at Granville Elementary School, said in a letter she was not returning next year “due to the vast difference the Board of Education and I now have regarding education philosophy.”

When O’Shea’s resignation was accepted at a board meeting last week, members did not specifically address the matter during the meeting. O’Shea did not attend the meeting and did not return phone calls seeking comment.

In her letter, O’Shea wrote:

“I feel that continuing to lead the remarkable progress that Granville Elementary School made over the last three years is impossible without continuing support from the Granville CSD Board of Education. The board’s focus of attention has changed over this period of time as evidenced by behaviors at public meetings over the last year.”

Included with her resignation letter was a letter detailing her educational philosophy.

“A school is a place of education; it is there to educate students in academic or cognitive skills and knowledge,” O’Shea wrote.

“A school is a place of learning; it should be a place that, itself, is learning,” she said. “A place that is interactive and negotiative, creative and problem-solving, proactive and responsive, participative and collaborative, flexible and enterprising, evaluative and reflective, supportive and developmental.”

She later wrote that “school improvement depends upon its leadership and its concern for quality in educational standards. A school is a secure place of learning for all of its community. No exceptions.”

O’Shea, whose resignation is effective June 30, has been employed in the district since July 2012.
She is the second school employee in recent months to resign amid differences with the school board.

Stephen Palmer resigned as athletic director earlier this year, saying “the no-confidence issues with certain Board of Education members are not a struggle I wish to engage in on a daily basis.”

The search for O’Shea’s replacement has already begun. Bessen said the district is accepting applications until April 17. A screening team consisting of teachers, administrators, parents and students will then select eight to 10 candidates who will be interviewed on April 30 and May 1.

Those candidates will then be whittled down to a few finalists, who be invited back for a second round of interviews with the same screening committee.

“The goal is to appoint a new principal in May and have them ready to start on July 1,” Bessen said.

The district has advertised the position as having a salary of between $80,000 and $90,000.

Members of the community who are interested in serving on the screening committee are encouraged to contact Connie Resetar at 518-642-1051, ext. 1310.