Opinion ID: 806387
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Donnelly’s Teaching Performance, 2004-2006

Text: The District hired Donnelly on July 1, 2004, under a three-year probationary contract, as a secondary-school English teacher. When hired, he had five years’ teaching experience. During his first year in the District, Donnelly worked at Westchester Magnet Academy (“WMA”). At WMA, Donnelly was evaluated three times, receiving the highest overall rating in each review. He had perfect attendance during his year at WMA. WMA closed at the end of Donnelly’s first year. The District thereafter transferred him to Woodlands High School for the final two years of his probationary contract. During his second year Donnelly was again evaluated three times. In one evaluation, defendant-appellee Robert Chakar, the principal at Woodlands, gave Donnelly the highest possible rating in twenty-four of the twenty-six categories. In his other two evaluations, Donnelly received the highest possible rating in every category. Each of Donnelly’s evaluations also recommended areas of improvement, as is standard practice in such evaluations, including those for tenured teachers. Donnelly’s classroom performance included two episodes that required specific admonition from his supervisors. On one occasion, Donnelly told a student she was “acting retarded” and then wrote the word “retard” on the board. On another, he told a student to “go back to Mexico.” Chakar counseled Donnelly about both incidents, verbally and in writing. 5