Cedar Springs residents calling for superintendent's resignation

By Madison Bennett | MLive

Anger, frustration and sadness are just a few emotions that were expressed by parents, staff, students and even alumni of Cedar Springs Public Schools during a town hall meeting.

The meeting, put together by community members and parents Katy Austin, Tami Elliston and Todd Norman, took place on Thursday, March 15, at the Solon Township Hall. It served as an outlet for many upset with Superintendent Laura VanDuyn to speak out about their experiences with her and the divide they say she has created.

Currently, a www.change.org petition is circulating urging the school board to remove VanDuyn. The petition had 1,870 online signatures as of Friday, March 16.

In a response to the petition, VanDuyn said she is saddened by its existence and is fully committed to making Cedar Springs Public Schools the "best place it can be."

"As a superintendent, it is my promise to the community to make the best decisions. I can ensure our students have an exceptional educational experience while keeping our district financially stable," VanDuyn said. VanDuyn did not attend the meeting, but released the statement in response to the petition.

Others feel differently about VanDuyn's job performance and spoke about it in front of the large crowd, which filled the meeting room at Solon Township Hall. Among those people to speak was former Cedar Springs Board of Education member Ted Sabinas.

"It didn't take long to find out 'it's my way only,'" Sabinas said of working with VanDuyn.

Sabinas, a longtime resident and former teacher in the district of 34 years, said he ran for the school board to try to elicit change. After one year on the board, he ultimately made the decision to step down in December 2017.

"I felt I was shunned if I had an idea," he said. "It was very apparent I was getting nowhere."

VanDuyn has been with the district for about three and a half years, and Sabinas said many current and former staff members say they have seen a significant change since she was hired.

"I've worked with seven superintendents, several principals and many outstanding teachers," Mary Graf, a first-grade teacher at Red Hawk Elementary School, said.

Graf, who has been teaching in the district for 41 years, said that in the past, despite disagreements between administration and staff, there was still "mutual respect and collaboration."

"I have always felt that my opinion was valued and considered," she said. "All of that's changed now. There is no collaboration when decisions are made. Many teachers feel that if they disagree and voice their concerns, there will be repercussions."

Former school district employee Christine Bentley said she came to the conclusion that her skills could be utilized elsewhere and that she has been struggling to move on since leaving the district after 19 years.

"Cedar Springs has been my community, my passion, my life, my family and my identity," she said through tears. "Leaving was not something that I had wanted or planned. It has been a struggle for me to move on and to find myself in another way."

The divide has become apparent to some students, including Peyton Elliston, a senior at Cedar Springs High School, who said she has been an outspoken student on VanDuyn.

"Over the last three years, it's become so much clearer that as students, our voices don't matter," Elliston said. "That's unfair. It's not fair to walk into a building where you're supposed to feel safe and feel intimidated all the time, like you have a target on your back," she said.

Heidi Reed, school board president, said the entire board is taking the responsibility of advocating for the community and evaluating the superintendent "very seriously."

"The board has heard the community's concerns and is aware of the petition circulating regarding Dr. VanDuyn. Our team has taken an unbiased look at the entire school community, student success indicators and the district's progress toward its goals," Reed said.

"As academic leaders, we sometimes have to make difficult decisions that not all our constituents agree with. However, what I believe we can all agree on is putting our students first, so they can learn and grow, which I believe CSPS is doing an exceptional job at," she added.

Following Thursday's meeting, parent Todd Norman encouraged all in attendance to attend the next Board of Education meeting on Monday, March 26. The meeting is a scheduled work session and will take place at the Hilltop Community Building, 204 E Muskegon St., at 6:45 p.m.

This post originally appeared on MLive.com March 17, 2018.