Campaign for Larkin HS teacher still grows

Dozens of Larkin High School music supporters have launched a campaign to keep the school's choral director, who recently withdrew the resignation he submitted in late March.

Damon Carlson, a staff member at Larkin since 2004, had resigned his position at the school's Visual and Performing Arts Academy.

Parents and students said Carlson was asked to resign by Elgin Area School District U-46 officials. Neither Carlson nor U-46 would confirm that.

But Carlson late last month did file a union grievance in which he formally withdrew his resignation.

When Carlson's resignation became public, a host of students and parents who knew the young teacher said they were appalled.

"Usually when someone is let go, it's not hard to find someone who agrees with that decision," Larkin parent and Willard Elementary librarian Ellen Bachman said. "Not here. He was extremely professional and well-loved. … His being forced to resign just fried us."

At school board meetings on May 5, May 19 and June 2, Larkin students and parents made impassioned pleas to the board to refuse Carlson's resignation.

Stephanie Wahl, Larkin's 2008 co-valedictorian, called Carlson's dismissal "mysterious."

"Students who worked with him during the past four years are astounded that a mentor, a friend and someone who's only bettered Larkin's fine arts program would not be returning to continue his exceptional work," she said.

The board "needs to look into why such a strong asset to our school is being asked to leave," Wahl said.

Samantha Young, Larkin's salutatorian, said she's the first to admit that "she's no great musician." Carlson, however, has always encouraged her to keep trying. "He treats me as if I am just as good as his students who are natural-born musicians."

Academy parent Susan Tyrrel said several administrative decisions over the past several years had adversely affected academic scheduling, morale and administrative programs at Larkin.

Carlson's resignation, Tyrrel said, was "the tipping point."

Community members filed a May 19 grievance requesting an investigation into the issue.

On May 23, Carlson joined that grievance and filed his own, claiming his constitutional and contractual rights were violated and "facts regarding both were misrepresented in the process of that resignation being forced," according to a letter submitted to interim Superintendent Mary Jayne Broncato.

In addition to the grievances, a Facebook petition against Carlson's dismissal had, as of Friday, listed 231 members.

YouTube contains multiple videos of public comments against Carlson's dismissal at recent board meetings.

A June 7 letter to the editor of the Daily Herald demanding Carlson's reinstatement listed 64 signatures, including Larkin Academy members, members of the Citizens Advisory Council and several of the school's past salutatorians and valedictorians.

What will happen next, Elgin Teachers Association President Tim Davis said, is in the school board's hands.

"The grievance that was filed by community members -- the board would respond to that. The union isn't involved," Davis said.

The grievance Carlson himself filed was filed too late, Davis said.

"The internal process that he would have had available to him as an ETA member, the timelines weren't met by Damon," Davis said.

The school board is not yet ready to act on the matter.

President Ken Kaczynksi said board members have asked for more information on the issue.

"It's not a simple situation. … We clearly have listened to a lot of varying things," he said.

Kacyzkinski declined to comment further, citing the issue as a personnel matter.

"The refusal to address this issue publicly has affected student, parent and staff morale," Tyrrel said.