St. Charles school district to involuntarily transfer two high school teachers despite protests from students, colleagues

ST. CHARLES – A group of more than 20 people, mostly high school students, gathered outside a St. Charles District 303 School Board meeting at the Haines Center on Monday to protest the district’s decision to transfer two longtime English teachers out of St. Charles North High School.

The teachers, Alice Froemling and Brian Callahan, were told last week they were going to be transferred to middle and elementary schools within the district at the end of this school year.

St. Charles North High School English teacher Alice Froemling speaks to the District 303 school board about the involuntary reassignment of herself and several other teachers in the district at Monday’s meeting. (John Starks jstarks@dailyherald.com)

Froemling and Callahan have taught at the high school for 14 and 15 years, respectively. Callahan said he will be reassigned to Munhall Elementary School. Froemling did not confirm where her new assignment will be.

St. Charles resident and retired St. Charles North English teacher Robin Roberts helped organize the protest. She said she worked with Froemling briefly before she retired and said her daughter loved having Froemling as a teacher.

Retired St. Charles North High School teacher Robin Roberts talks with people coming to the District 303 board meeting as she protests with students about the involuntary reassignment of several teachers. (John Starks jstarks@dailyherald.com)

Roberts said the message of the protest is that school district leaders are making bad decisions, and her hope is they will reverse the decision.

Tyler Moore, a junior at St. Charles North High School, was one of several students protesting before the meeting. He said he had Froemling for Honors English his sophomore year and she was one of the best teachers he ever had.

Moore said not only were Froemling and Callahan great teachers, they were advisers for several clubs and organizations. He said shortly after hearing about the transfers, he started making signs and sending emails to the school board.

“She was just a great teacher,” Moore said. “A lot of us [students] came together and said, ‘We have to do something.’”

Superintendent Paul Gordon made a statement before the public comment portion of the meeting. He said that last week, school district administration informed nine teachers across five schools, including six high school teachers, two elementary school teachers and one middle school teacher, that they would be involuntarily transferred.

“This is a decision that we did not come to lightly,” Gordon said. “It was made only in accordance with existing processes used in previous years under the teachers association contract.”

Gordon said the changes will ensure a more consistent student to teacher ratio across all levels of education and ensure the longtime financial stability of the district.

“This is not about one or two individuals,” Gordon said. “I recognize these are very challenging decisions that impact the lives of our staff. That is not lost on me.

“These are nine outstanding educators in D-303 who are committed to student excellence and I’m confident that these educators who are being transferred will continue to do great work for D-303 students, their colleagues and our community.”

During the meeting, 18 people spoke against the decision, including students, teachers, residents, alumni and retired teachers. Moore, Roberts, Froemling and Callahan were among those who spoke.

St. Charles North High School teachers Alice Froemling, middle left, and Brian Callahan, facing camera, stand with the audience during the District 303 school board meeting in St. Charles on Monday, April 17, 2023. Both teachers are being involuntarily reassigned to other schools along with several other teachers and a capacity crowd showed their support for the teachers at the meeting. (John Starks jstarks@dailyherald.com)

Several students told the board that Froemling and Callahan were among their most trusted adults in the school and that losing them will have a negative effect on the students’ learning environment.

Roberts told the board they should be ashamed of themselves for making the end of these teachers’ school years miserable, and said they would never involuntarily transfer an athletic coach.

“Transparency is dead in 303,” Roberts said. “I’m thrilled not to teach there anymore.”

Froemling got emotional during the public comments, both while listening to students speak and while speaking before the board.

“I’ve been told a few times this week that tough decisions had to be made, and in turn, I have a few tough decisions to make,” Froemling said. “However, being a student-centered educator, I cannot do our most vulnerable students a disservice by taking a position I do not feel I’m best qualified for.”

After public comment, the board went into closed session. When they returned, board President Heidi Fairgrieve read a statement saying the board will not reconsider the involuntary transfers.

“We support the decisions made by administration and we will continue with the involuntary transfer process,” Fairgrieve said.