JOHNSTOWN - Warren Street Elementary School Principal Anne Christiano - the target of a letter from another school's teachers expressing concern about working under her - was denied tenure Thursday night by the Greater Johnstown School District Board of Education.
It was the second time she has been denied tenure by the board.
The board voted 5-4 at Johnstown High School on a resolution that would have granted her tenure as a district principal.
Christiano was the only one of seven people up for tenure who was denied by the board Thursday night. The board went into a 25-minute closed-door executive session to discuss "employment history of a particular person," but it was unclear if Christiano was the subject.
Voting against Christiano, who was appointed Warren Street Elementary School principal in July 2005, were: Scott Miller, Leslie Buggeln-Bosworth, Susanne Fitzgerald, Joanne Freeman and board Vice President James Levin. Voting for tenure were board President Robert Curtis, Russell Martin, Robert Kosowicz and John David Praught.
Following the meeting, The Leader-Herald attempted to interview Christiano about being denied tenure when former Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Trainor stood up and physically blocked the reporter's access to the principal, who hastily left the cafeteria and the school.
"She has no comment," Trainor told the newspaper several times.
Christiano also didn't return a phone call seeking comment this morning.
District Superintendent Katherine A. Sullivan identified Trainor as a relative of Christiano.
Sullivan and Curtis were asked by The Leader-Herald if tenure denial means Christiano's time at Warren Street Elementary School is over at the end of this school year. The resolution stated that her probationary period expires June 30.
"We have to talk to our legal counsel [before commenting further]," Curtis said.
In early April, teachers and support staff wrote a letter to the Greater Johnstown School District expressing "anxiety and trepidation" about possibly working under Christiano now that their school is closing.
The Leader-Herald obtained a copy of the letter, which was dated March 31 and was sent from Jansen's "tenured teachers and support staff" to Sullivan. Members of the district's Board of Education also were sent copies of the letter.
Jansen has been targeted for closure at the end of the school and Curtis says teachers will be dispersed to the schools as vacancies exist and based on seniority.
Jansen Avenue Elementary School kindergarten teacher Ellen Jones said previously there have been 31 teachers and other district employees who have "opted to leave" Warren Street Elementary School over recent years because of Christiano.
The letter, in part, read: "Our only serious and perhaps even impassible hurdle in making the move to new buildings revolves around the anxiety and trepidation we feel when we confront the possibility of working under the direction of Anne Christiano, current principal at Warren Street Elementary School. Many of us have had unpleasant encounters and disturbing conversations with Mrs. Christiano. Those of us who have not personally experienced her unpredictable nature have heard enough retellings from reputable sources to make us uneasy."
The letter indicated that Jansen teachers and support staff "can't help but wonder why teachers, aides, secretaries, nurses, and custodians too numerous to count have opted to leave their positions at Warren Street School in the short time Mrs. Christiano has served as building principal. Some of us remember interviewing Mrs. Christiano in the spring of 2004 when she applied to fill the vacancy created when former Jansen Avenue Principal Mr. Richard Tucci retired. Even at that time we felt strongly that she was not a suitable match for our school community."
Granted tenure by the board Thursday night were: Glebe Street Elementary School Principal William Crankshaw, mathematics teacher Craig Blowers, guidance counselor Deana Lenz, health teacher Kristy Lynch-Herringshaw, physical education teacher Jennifer O'Neil and elementary teacher Amy Shutter.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com.