Protesters get Cedar Springs superintendent's resignation

By Madison Bennett | MLive

An effort led by Cedar Springs Public Schools community members, staff and teachers to oust the district's superintendent has resulted in Laura VanDuyn's resignation.

The Cedar Springs Board of Education announced the decision on Monday night, March 26, during a meeting at Cedar Springs High School -- an announcement that was followed by cheers from audience members.

VanDuyn was excused from the meeting. Her resignation will be effective at the end of business day Friday. She has been superintendent for three and a half years.

"First, I was shocked. I mean I didn't know that that would actually happen; I think just relief," Libby Metiva, a seventh-grade teacher at Cedar Springs Middle School, said of the resignation. "I feel finally heard, I've been speaking at board meetings the last two and a half years."

Metiva has been teaching in the district for 22 years and said she never wanted to leave, but had begun sending out resumes, saying that "it's been mentally and physically exhausting."

"I never wanted to leave but it was coming to a point where I thought I might need to," she said.

Community members, teachers and other staff members have been leading an effort against VanDuyn over the last several weeks, holding a town hall meeting, creating a petition urging her firing and wearing red shirts and holding signs that read "#ResignVanDuyn."  

The petition claims that since VanDuyn was hired, the atmosphere in the school district has become one of "bullying, intimidation and pitting people against one another."

Prior to the announcement, Board President Heidi Reed made a statement.

"We are responsible for listening to our school community, hearing both the positive and the negative to make the best unbiased decision we can for the sake of our students and long-term health of our district," Reed said.

She commended her colleagues, calling them "courageous," and explained to audience members that they are there because they care about the children.

"What saddens and disappoints me are the unfair accusations continuously repeated against my board colleagues," she added.

Following her statement, the board made a motion to go into closed session to consider a "written legal opinion regarding a personnel matter," Vice President Matthew Shoffner said. After more than an hour, they emerged with VanDuyn's resignation.

The board had a scheduled work session during the Monday, March 26 meeting, but made the decision to move it to a later date in an effort to get through public comments.

Many community members and teachers had prepared speeches to speak out against VanDuyn, but were surprised at the resignation.

"I cannot believe it," said Katy Austin, a parent and community member. "I know it was a difficult decision for the board but I am just so relieved and so excited to move forward."

Not all trustees agreed with the decision, including Trustee Tim Bauer, who spoke out against the resignation.

"What's being done here is wrong; it's wrong," he said.

Shoffner said he had hoped for something better, but that "has not come about."

"I hoped for unity and I hoped for this community to be brought together, and that is still my hope. I still hope that we can do this together," he said.

All board members voted yes to accept VanDuyn's resignation, with the exception of Bauer, who voted no. Trustee Shannon Vanderhyde was absent.

Mark Dobias will fill VanDuyn's role on an interim basis. He is the former Fennville and Allegan Area Education Service Agency superintendent.

This post originally appeared on MLive.com March 27, 2018.