District Reaches Contracts with Both School Unions

New Faces at School include Teachers

— by Margie Doyle —

Orcas Island School District Superintendent Eric Webb announced at the monthly school board meeting on Thursday, Aug. 27, “I’m very happy to report we have a tentative agreement with Orcas Island Education and Public School Employees Unions,” after spending all day and much of the last week in bargaining.

Webb said, “I’ve been extremely pleased working with both groups. It’s been very respectful.  I walked away with a different appreciation of negotiations.”

Webb also thanked administrative staff and principals who “stepped up” to give a new teacher orientation that took place this last week of school vacation. “It’s a new thing we’re adding because it’s best for our staff. It gave the new teachers some skills and vision.

“If we want to transition our new staff in in a positive way and retain the staff that’s here, that’s what we have to do. I’m very thankful for they did that,” he said.

The new staff, as of Aug. 27, were

• Kelly Carpenter as 8th grade English teacher;
• Phil Comito will be joining us as a high school Social Studies teacher;
• Dr. Gerald Grillet-Tinner as a  Biology, Chemistry and AP Biology teacher;
• Heidi Bruce as Spanish teacher.

Changes in teaching staff in the HS/MS include:

• Paula Towne who will move to the High School full time,
• and Mike Buckner who will teach Middle School math.

Also, Theresa Mayr will be the new Elementary Principal. She comes to the OISD from Sumner, Washington.

Supt. Webb also emphasized two important changes at the start of this school year:

• students will have early release at  2:05 p.m every Wednesday. “This will give our professionals time to sit down together, to communicate and collaborate. This is just providing the mechanism for doing that.”
• the traffic island is the new drop-off area for parents who drive their children to school in the mornings. “We will be out front directing parents to line up at Madrona Street” to enter the drop-off circle.