St. Paul school board approves teacher contract after protest interrupts meeting

Concerns over racism and a teacher's charged comments boiled over at a St. Paul school board meeting Tuesday that was highlighted by approval of a new teachers' contract aiming to make schools safer.

The vote came after public testimony that ended abruptly when emotions intensified, and as the district released data that reveal assaults on staff members are up from a year ago. In fact, the 44 assaults reported to the district's emergency call center through Feb. 24 already exceeded the 41 cases reported in all of 2014-15.

The St. Paul Federation of Teachers deemed the safety of students and staff members to be an issue worth striking over, and the two-year contract approved Tuesday night earmarks $4.5 million for a package of school discipline practices to be rolled out on a pilot basis over the next three years.

Some union members have argued that the needed changes and staff supports haven't come soon enough.

One special-education teacher, Theo Olson of Como Park Senior High, who has written extensively about disruptive behavior in social media and in a blog, "Hot-spvrr," was targeted for criticism by attendees Tuesday after controversial posts were unearthed and publicized by the group Black Lives Matter St. Paul.

Olson was put on paid administrative leave after attention was drawn to two controversial Facebook posts he wrote.

On Tuesday, attendees critical of Olson shouted down Jim Endres, a substitute teacher in suburban districts, when Endres implored school board members to support teachers who "are held to a standard of perfection." Cries from the audience of "Listen to us!" and "Our kids matter!" led the board to cut short the public comment period.

'Step up to the plate'

Critics allege that Olson's blog entries reveal contempt for his job and bitterness toward his school, citing his "dismissive and prejudiced depictions" of students and parents. Many of those students, they add, have stereotypically ethnic names in what appear — in many cases — to be fictional accounts.

In an interview, Olson's wife, Karen Nelson Olson, described the blog as an effort to "show what it's really like" to be an inner-city special-education teacher. Her husband is devoted to his students, she added, and the descriptions of classroom life represent a "mash-up" of experiences and characters. Genders are changed and events altered, she said.

"A lot of authors do that," Nelson Olson added. "Part of the problem here is he really wants to be a writer."

Chauntyll Allen, a district parent who works as a special-education assistant at Ramsey Middle School, took issue with people who have voiced support for Olson. She told the board: "You guys really have to step up to the plate and deal with these racist teachers."

Teacher assaults

Calls to improve school climate within the district grew more urgent in December when a Central High student slammed a teacher onto a table and then the floor, and choked him into unconsciousness.

A March 9 beating of a Como Park teacher went viral on social media and resulted in felony assault charges against two students.

In a statement, the St. Paul Republican City Committee said the district should change its student-discipline policies. It also made reference to 19 district employees being injured by students this year.

The district, at the Star Tribune's request, supplied data revealing the 44 assaults on staff members through Feb. 24, with nine incidents reported at Journeys Secondary School, which serves special-education students, being the most at an individual school.

The 41 assaults reported in 2014-15 represented a drop from 77 reported in 2013-14 and 59 in 2012-13, the latter of which was the first year the district started breaking out assaults on staff among the serious incidents reported to its emergency call center.

'Put students first'

In a statement after the board vote, Denise Rodriguez, president of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers, said she was pleased but that now it was "time for all of us to continue to put St. Paul students first, setting priorities that directly address racial equity and school climate."

Superintendent Valeria Silva said: "While a contract alone cannot solve the complexities of school climate, the substantial investments made in our students, staff and families will strengthen our combined efforts."

The contract includes moves to increase the number of school climate improvement teams and the testing of restorative justice practices at individual schools. Teachers will receive pay increases of 2 percent retroactive to Jan. 9 and 2 percent effective July 1.

Elsewhere, the Ramsey County attorney's office plans to announce a Community Task Force on Safe Schools, said Erica Schumacher, the office's director of strategic initiatives.

"We have been pleased by the community's response … and are looking forward to a productive conversation," she said.

Anthony Lonetree • 612-673-410