The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1962-08-23
Reasons For Action
Against Faiths Given
By Superintendent
fContinned from Pnpa OneN

Continued from Page Onel
could get an audience. We will
now try to present the facts of the
case as they really exist, and
answer some of the false state
ments being circulated.
Let us first state the reasons for
the action of the board against
Mr.. and Mrs Faith AS for Mr..
Faith. he was transferred out of
the Northern High School agricul-
ture department because of gross
INSTRUMENTATION, disloYalty, UNI
ethical conduct, and defiance of
authority For whole year he
has conducted an undcrcOver cam
paign against the superintendent.
principal. and board members. He
has used as a pretense for his
actions his great interest in the
agriculture program of Northern
High School. This professed in
tcrest is a gross subterfuge for
no teacher could have any genuine
interest in his work and do wha.
he has done. Those responsible for
supervising Mr.. Faiths classes
during the past year will attest
to the rapid deterioration in the
quality of his work. His great in
terest in the agriculture program
only manifested itself when he de-
cided to wage an undercover cam
paign against the reappointment
of the superintendent. and ne
hoped for the support of the Farm
Bureau to secure his position. He
was recommended for dismissal by
his principal and by his high school
supervisor There is no doubt that
sufficient charges for his dismissal
could have been SubStant.ated, but
the board took a lesser action and
transferred him out of the school
to another assignment, thus Civ
ing him a position as well as an
opportunity to re-eStabliSh him
self in the county school system
and we will say here and now
that if Mr. Faith continues his
present actions after the start of
the school year he will be brought
promptly before tire school board
and his dismissal will be requested.
AS one of our good elementary
principals remark d to me just
a few days ago. eff Faith can do
what he has done end not be fired
then man just can't do enough
to be fired" Thus, to answer the
question Mr.. Faith is asking, was
the board action against him
justified? TIL anSwa" is that in
our honest o inion 70 action ever
taken in the COUNT against any
teacher was ever more justified.
AS for Mrs Faith. she was not
reannointed because the board had
sufficient evidence to be convinced
that she was lust as disloyal to
the school administration as her
husband. She was not on tenure
and the board felt that it owed
no OBLIGATION to any teacher 10
place him Tor herr permanently
in the school system if such a
teacher was not willing to support
the superintendent and school
board members. Thus the answer
TO the question. was the board
justified in not placing Mrs. Faith
on tenurc?-is an emphatic Yes.
Such teachers do not deserve ten
ure. The words retaliation" and
spite" are constantly used in
order to convey the idea of sinister
motives on the part of the SUI
perintendent and board members
in dealing with the Faiths There
is not the slightest bit of truth in
such insinuationS. The decision in
both cases was made after joint
conference of the school board. SUI
perintendent. Northern High School
principal. high school supervisor,
and school board attorney. 1t was
obvious that Mr.. Faith could not
be returned TO Northern High
School without a complete break
down of morale and authority
within the school and school sys-
tenn His usefulness for whatever
it might have been in the past
had come to an end The deci-
sion on the part of the board in
both cases was a unanimous one,
and l am positive that no two
people understand any better why
this action was taken against them
than Mr. and Mrs. Faith.
Now | will try to answer briefly
a few other false statements that
have been circulated One is that
never cooperate with the Farm
Bureau and am against the farm
ers. There is no bigger falsehood
than this statement, which has
been drummed up in order to
create farmer opposition toward me
thus gaining support for Mr.
Faith. have at times held men,
bership in the Garrett County
Farm Bureau. At the invitation of
the Farm Bureau Directors l have
been meeting annually with them
to discuss school problems and 10
answer any questions as we'll as l
can. This meeting, until this year,
was always friendly and l felt
mutually beneficial. l hope it can
be resumed this fall. Never once.
at these meetings do l recall hear
ing about any particular problems
with the Northern High School
7