SIOUX CITY — Alissa Williams, assistant principal at West Middle School, will keep her job after approaching the school board and asking them to reject her termination.
Williams has been assistant principal at West Middle for one year. Her termination was listed on the human resources report effective June 30.
Williams and a group of staff from West Middle attended the regular Sioux City School Board meeting on Monday. She asked the board to vote against her termination, as she didn’t know why it was happening.
“I don’t know why my termination is on this board report,” she said. “I have had zero communication. I was blindsided.”
Superintendent Rod Earleywine told The Journal Tuesday because of the actions by the board, she will have a contract for next year to continue employment.
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The board on Monday voted 3-3 to approve the human resources report, with Jan George, Dan Greenwell and John Meyers in favor, Treyla Lee, Bob Michaelson and Earl Miller opposed. The item failed.
District administration questioned the decision, stating the human resources report had new salaries for all employees listed, as well as other resignations, hirings and recruitment stipends. The board decided to vote again on the human resources report, but removed the termination section. The vote passed unanimously.
Michaelson taught at West Middle for 30 years. He said he would trust many of the West Middle employees who attended the meeting “with everything that I have.” He said he also trusts the district administration.
“I don’t personally know what to do with it,” he said.
George said they had received guidance from outside legal counsel before the meeting, stating they could not discuss the issue.
Iowa code says that a school board can only discuss the appointment, hiring, performance, or discharge of an employee in closed session if that employee specifically requested it. Williams publicly stated she wanted the topic discussed in an open session.
The board took a short recess to discuss the topic with their legal counsel. Dan Moore, the district’s attorney, directed the board to follow the guidance provided to them by outside counsel and to discuss the situation with the attorney on Tuesday.
Williams was hired in August 2023 and had formerly been an English-language arts teacher in the district. She said on her first day, she had a meeting with the other administrators at West Middle where they said the only way to be successful in her role was to build trust and relationships with students and staff.
“I took that to heart,” she said.
While she said she made mistakes in her first year as an administrator, she said she hoped people would be able to make mistakes as long as they were willing to “own it and commit to progress, all of which I feel as though I have done.” She said she had not received any negative feedback.
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SIOUX CITY — The Sioux City School Board decided not to vote on the termination of Alissa Williams, assistant principal at West Middle School, Monday.
Williams has been assistant principal at West Middle for one year. Her termination was listed on the human resources report effective June 30.
Williams and a group of staff from West Middle attended the regular school board meeting Monday. She asked the board to vote against her termination, as she didn’t know why it was happening.
“I don’t know why my termination is on this board report,” she said. “I have had zero communication. I was blindsided.”
The board voted 3-3 to approve the human resources report, with Jan George, Dan Greenwell and John Meyers in favor, Treyla Lee, Bob Michaelson and Earl Miller opposed. The item failed.
District administration questioned the decision, stating the human resources report had new salaries for all employees listed, as well as other resignations, hirings and recruitment stipends. The board decided to vote again on the human resources report, but removed the termination section. The vote passed unanimously. No information was given on the future of Williams employment.
Michaelson taught at West Middle for 30 years. He said he would trust many of the West Middle employees who attended the meeting “with everything that I have.” He said he also trusts the district administration.
“I don’t personally know what to do with it,” he said.
George said they had received guidance from outside legal counsel before the meeting, stating they could not discuss the issue.
Iowa code says that a school board can only discuss the appointment, hiring, performance, or discharge of an employee in closed session if that employee specifically requested it. Williams publicly stated she wanted the topic discussed in an open session.
The board took a short recess to discuss the topic with their legal counsel. Dan Moore, the district’s attorney, directed the board to follow the guidance provided to them by outside counsel and to discuss the situation with the attorney on Tuesday.
Williams was hired in August 2023 and had formerly been an English-language arts teacher in the district. She said on her first day, she had a meeting with the other administrators at West Middle where they said the only way to be successful in her role was to build trust and relationships with students and staff.
“I took that to heart,” she said.
While she said she made mistakes in her first year as an administrator, she said she hoped people would be able to make mistakes as long as they were willing to “own it and commit to progress, all of which I feel as though I have done.” She said she had not received any negative feedback.
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