Firing Back Over Dismissal of Teacher

* Aghast, I’ve followed the story of Capistrano Unified’s high school teacher Paul Pflueger, whose board of trustees voted 6 to 1 to dismiss him, despite a packed house of 300 and a stream of speakers--students, parents and colleagues--who hailed him as one who provoked thought, changed and saved lives.

I was once such a teacher.

Perfect dramatic irony! An Orange County school board convicts an exemplary veteran teacher because it disapproves of his teaching style, because he strays from the curriculum. Meanwhile, at the U.S. Senate impeachment trial, Charles Ruff, counsel for the defense, admonishes senators to “take special care, as we hold the fabric of democracy in our hands.”

Seventy percent of the American people see the travesty of the impeachment trial. I dare say similar percentages exist locally regarding the Pflueger trial. Pflueger represents millions of teachers across our nation who face school boards similar to his. Who will be next? What are we going to do about it?

It’s time for nationally televised civil disobedience! I’d love to turn on network news to find scenes flashing from all over California--teachers and community leaders picketing in protest to Pflueger’s dismissal.

I’d guess that the network camera crews would show up if local parents, students and colleagues would organize and park themselves at Capistrano Unified’s administrative offices, refusing to leave until Pflueger is reinstated and a public apology issued.

CARLENE BROWN

Costa Mesa

* On Feb. 8, the trustees of Capistrano Unified School District found that over 200 students and parents were willing to attend a board meeting for four hours to show their support for a tough, high-standards history teacher, Paul Pflueger.

The board had previously been collecting complaints about Pflueger with the intent to fire him for, among other things, giving low grades to too many students, that is, having standards too high for Capistrano Valley High School.

The board received an overwhelming amount of new information that evening from students and former students who described him repeatedly as the best teacher they ever had, despite the fact that he was very demanding.

He was characterized as a teacher who turned their lives around, who made them want to learn, who made them better citizens and who taught them to think rather than to memorize. No teacher could hope for a more positive evening of support.

Faced with this large amount of new information which conflicted with the complaints, a reasonable person would have delayed any important decision to reflect and evaluate the situation.

Faced with the fact that the few hours of classroom observation by the critical principal conflicted with testimonials from dozens of students who had spent a whole year in Pflueger’s classes, a body of evidence that equated to literally thousands of observation hours, a reasonable person would have delayed any important decision to think further on the matter.

Faced with the fact that a vote for Pflueger’s dismissal would start a legal process that would cost taxpayers as much as half a million dollars, a reasonable person would certainly delay such a decision in light of the new conflicting information.

The trustees did a disservice to education and the educational process, and they were fiscally irresponsible. They should, in good conscience, either reverse this decision or resign their posts.

WILLIAM J. EVANS

Mission Viejo

* In your article about the dismissal of Capistrano Unified teacher Paul Pflueger, a former Capistrano Valley High School principal was quoted as saying it is the role of administrators to make poor teachers better.

I agree with that statement. But it is even more important that a superintendent and school board have the courage to take whatever action may be necessary to protect children if the desired improvements don’t occur.

That includes firing the teacher, if necessary.

JACK CORKERY

San Clemente