GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A former middle school teacher isn’t happy with the Green Bay Area Public School District’s response to her safety concerns.
Kerstin Westcott was back at the district’s headquarters Monday night, about a month after she first publicly expressed concerns to the school board.
During her June 5th resignation from Washington Middle School, Westcott told the board that teachers and students feared for their safety at the school.
“I come here today because I still haven’t heard answers to the questions I raised on June 5th,” said Westcott.
District officials admit they can do better for students and teachers.
“The solutions however that we have implemented have truly not been enough,” said Michelle Langenfeld, the district’s superintendent.
Westcott told the board she lost all hope for improvement at Washington after listening to the school district’s news conference responding to her safety concerns at the school.
“Dr. Langenfeld, you stated at the press conference that you were not there to ‘dispel anyone else’s truth’ and that ‘there are always two sides to every story. A student I had never met approached me in the hallway during passing time and said I have a gun and I’m going to shoot you. Bang, bang. Bang, bang. What is the other side to that story?”
Langenfeld apologized to Westcott, saying she regrets making the two sides statement and also expressed regret for not doing more for Washington.
“It simply has not been enough and for that I have apologized to the staff, to Miss Westcott, we are very sorry and we can do better.” Langenfeld, other district officials, and Washington’s principal outlined a variety of ways they intend to improve safety.
The district plans to give the school another associate principal, counselor, and three more teachers. They also plan to increase hallway and cafeteria supervision and communication with parents. The district is also talking with county prosecutors about implementing a teen court.
“Without question, the work in front of us is large, but it’s also imperative on behalf of the students and families that we serve that it gets done,” said Dennis Christensen, the principal at Washington.
But Westcott says the district’s plans need to be more specific.
“We want to hear from you action steps addressing safety that you will be taking along with deadlines prior to the start of the upcoming school year so that we as a community can hold you accountable.”
Westcott tells WLUK she plans to teach in the Manitowoc School District next year.
