Slate of new principals, grievance filed at Sto-Rox
-SCHOOL NEWS-
By Elizabeth Perry
There have been many recent hires, transfers, resignations and retirements in the Sto-Rox School District.
The Sto-Rox School District hired two new assistant principals for the Jr./Sr. high school and a new assistant principal for the primary/upper elementary school, all outside hires, replacing teachers who had been promoted from within and entering leadership positions for the first time.
High school
Current Jr./Sr. High School Assistant Principals Michael Duca and Pam Clawson will still work for the district. Duca as an English teacher and Clawson will continue on as a Life Skills teacher. Clawson and Duca did not respond to requests for comment.
In their place, the district has hired Raelyn Day and Will Cross, each at a salary of $82,000.
Day started her teaching career in southern Maryland, but has been involved with Pittsburgh Public Schools for a decade.
Cross began his teaching career in Pittsburgh in 1990. He took a decade off from teaching in order to participate in a study with the University of Pittsburgh. Cross, a diabetic, measured his own physiological responses to extreme conditions, like the intense cold of the South Pole or the rarified air of Mt. Everest. Then he shared those findings in order to help other people with the disease. Cross said he returned to teaching because of its difficulty.
“I miss the challenge of dealing with teenagers,” Cross said.
Elementaries
Brooke Stebler is resigning her position of Academic Principal at the Primary/Upper Elementary schools.
Sheila Reed was hired on as assistant principal instead.
Reed has worked most recently at Propel Schools.
Prior to that, she was employed with Allegheny Valley Schools. Reed is from Atlanta. She has taught computer skills, is a library specialist and has been in leadership for about a year. Learning to educate in a creative way drives her interest in education.
“I get to impact the next generation,” Reed said.
Other shakeups
• Abigail Feil was hired on as an athletic trainer in the capacity of an independent contractor at $30 an hour.
• Alaina Smith was hired as a special education teacher, Brian Browning as a physical education teacher and both Erica Reedy and Diontae Givens were hired on as paraprofessionals for a rate of $17 an hour.
• Nicola Perrotta, learning support teacher, resigned.
• In order to fill the role of guidance counselor at the Upper Elementary School, the board agreed to allow Richard Baur to do the job on the condition he complete the required certification.
• The board approved the job description for Coordinator of Support Services to replace the Administrative Assistant/Confidential Secretary to the business manager title with a salary of $45,000, effective Jan. 1, 2023.
Grievances
The board voted to deny two separate grievances between the district and the teacher’s union.
The grievances were filed by a teacher with 20 years of experience in response to a recent suspension according to a source close to the situation.
Dan Rinkus, communications specialist with the district, said he could not confirm any details about the grievances, except that the person who filed them still works for the district, and the Union has a right to appeal.
Calls to Union President Carrie Palermo were not returned.