ST. LOUIS 鈥 Parents upset that a beloved preschool teacher has been placed on leave from Wilkinson Early Childhood Center questioned Superintendent Kelvin Adams about it Thursday at a forum held to discuss his 2015-16 budget.
Several of them heckled from the back of the auditorium at Humboldt Academy of Higher Learning on South Ninth Street as Adams walked through changes he鈥檚 proposing for district schools next year. Those changes include giving Vashon High School a focus on international finance and business, renovating the old Wyman school building for the Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience, and sending additional support to 27 low-performing schools to boost academic achievement.
Some Wilkinson parents who addressed Adams at the microphone shouted as they demanded answers as to why Kelly Hahn had been placed on leave, weeks after she won the district鈥檚 preschool teacher of the year award. One man, standing with his two young sons, threatened that he鈥檇 get Adams fired.
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Adams acknowledged that his responses wouldn鈥檛 satisfy the parents because he doesn鈥檛 talk about personnel issues publicly.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 speak specifics about any case,鈥 Adams said. 鈥淒oing so would be illegal.鈥
Proposals in the budget and transformation plan include requiring all teachers at McKinley Classical Leadership Academy to be certified in gifted education. It also would begin an international studies focus at Long Middle School.
The next public forum is planned for 9 a.m. Saturday at Vashon High School, 3035 Cass Avenue, weather permitting. If snow results in cancellation it will be posted on the district website, .
