Merl Grove teacher cries foul over demotion

As the drama at Merl Grove High continues to unfold, Janiel Rowe, former senior teacher with responsibility for sixth form, is crying foul as she says she has been demoted without justification.

Rowe believes she is being victimised owing to the perception that she was loyal to Principal Dr Marjorie Fullerton who was recently suspended by the board of the institution.

READ: Chairman defends suspending principal but critics call decision a sham

According to Rowe, she was promoted by Fullerton to work with functions and fundraising and promoted again to acting sixth form coordinator with special responsibility for the prefects and students' council.

She explained that the students' council representative sits on the school board representing the students.

“I would have supervised a member of the board,” she said, claiming that many people believed that the student representative on the board was being manipulated in some way to speak against some members of the board.

However, she said that the student was just there to represent the students.

“So because I have that apparent power, according to them, they thought it was necessary to take that post away from me,” she said.

She told The Gleaner that when given instructions by the principal, as a professional, she had to carry them out as long as they were not unethical or in contravention of the rules of the school or ministry of education.

“In my professional opinion, I was not told to do anything that was unethical, immoral or detrimental to the name of the school. I was simply told to do my job, write my report, monitor a year group, supervise my form teachers and the subject teachers in the year group.”

Surprised 

In the second week of August, Rowe said that she was invited to a meeting as a senior teacher by the vice principal for lower school Lorretta Ricketts and the board chairman David Hall.

During the meeting, Rowe said that the chairman told the teachers that the principal was on her break and Mrs Ricketts would be in charge until September 6.

Two weeks later, Rowe said she was told by one of her colleagues that another senior teachers' meeting was held.

However, Rowe said she checked her email and phone to see if she had received a link but it was not there.

“So I wasn't invited to this senior teachers' meeting.

“I continued to promote the sixth form programme and do my work as the coordinator. Now a general staff meeting was scheduled by Mrs Ricketts on September 2.”

Rowe divulged that it was at that meeting that Ricketts announced her demotion and that of some other senior teachers who were reportedly loyal to the principal.

The disgruntled teacher told The Gleaner that she was not on the online platform for that meeting owing to connectivity problems.

On September 6, Rowe said she received an email demoting her from her position.

“The letter was not on the school's letterhead. The letter did not state a reason. The letter was dated September 3. I received the letter on September 6. On the letter it says as of September 1 you will not continue in your position as acting sixth form coordinator,” she said.

Rowe said she felt disheartened by the news, noting that she had gone beyond the call of duty to carry out a stellar job at the institution.

Disheartened

She was asked to take up a new post that would make her responsible for accounting for the furniture and equipment at the school.

“If you know me sir, you would know that I am one of the most hard-working teachers at Merl Grove High School.”

Rowe said she raised half a million dollars in donations for the school.

She also pointed out that the events that she chaired pulled in some $2.5 million for the institution.

“In addition to that, I got persons to donate 27 tablets to students this year only. I got international artist Shenseea to donate some of her tablets as well for the year group.”

She said that her appraisals showed that she did a commendable job as sixth form coordinator.

“It seems to me that I am being victimised for supporting the principal.”

Quizzed on the issue yesterday, board chairman David Hall pledged to look into the matter, saying he was not aware of the specific development.

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