[MCFan]

The girl's coach at Michigan City is out after posting a 21 and 4 record, DAC Champions, Sectional Champions, Regional Runner-up to Skyler Diggens South Bend Washington and being selected coach of the year in the area. School Principal had originally promised the job to someone else but Coach Allen was hired instead. Since Allen was not his choice, the principal has made every effort to remove Allen as the coach, and the decision was made before the season's end. The only way Allen was going to keep the job was if he was able to get Michigan City past South Bend Washington and win the State title. But since that didn't happen, principal wants to bring in his own choice. Watch the girl's program take a nose dive for several years to come.

[Ang]

I can't see Mark Francesconi hiring a coach for personal reasons. I mean, the guy does have a problem with ethics, but that's just over the top IMO.

Where did you get your information? Is it a reliable source?

[MCFan]

This information is common knowledge and the fact that you feel he has problems with ethics, why would it be hard for you to believe that he decided to get rid of a coach in the middle of the state tournament and not inform the coach of his decision until April. Anyone if they ask the right questions of the right people or if they have someone they know at the school can find this information. My question to you would be: Is it ethical of the principal to decide not renew the contract of the coach and wait almost two months to let the coach know?

[Ang]

This information is common knowledge and the fact that you feel he has problems with ethics, why would it be hard for you to believe that he decided to get rid of a coach in the middle of the state tournament and not inform the coach of his decision until April. Anyone if they ask the right questions of the right people or if they have someone they know at the school can find this information. My question to you would be: Is it ethical of the principal to decide not renew the contract of the coach and wait almost two months to let the coach know?

The information is not common knowledge to me as I don't live in Indiana. I live in Wyoming and so far my only source of information has been you. Which is why I ask.

[JHeath]

I know plenty of people at the high school, including a girls bball player...and had no idea. Must not be as common as you claim.

[lbl]

I know plenty of people at the high school, including a girls bball player...and had no idea. Must not be as common as you claim.

Here, here...or "bump", I guess?

Also, let's be careful when questioning the ethics of a situation where the facts are parcels of private conversation. The termination of school contracts are rarely announced as soon as they are decided upon. After all, they are contracts.

"I can't see Mark Francesconi hiring a coach for personal reasons."
We all know hiring a coach in MC isn't decided by one guy. I happen to KNOW three of the major coaching hires the last few years weren't his to make. Think about it, why would a Principal hire two unlicensed guys to do a job that requires a license? It would only mean much more work for him and the other Assistant Principals! He has enough on his plate. Let's be considerate.

[Ang]

Well, as far as I'm concerned, there must be more to it than Mark Francesconi doesn't like the guy. There must be some deep issues that the general public is not aware of--which is SOP for the MCAS. And we (the general public) will probably never know the truth. Just like....What REALLY happened with Bob Holmes?


(SOP: Standard Operating Procedure)

[MCFan]

Apparently, it was true the the principal made the decision to get rid of the coach awhile ago. Now he hides behind "it is a personnel matter," Why wasn't he prepared to tell Allen the reasons. Was it a personnel matter when Allen asked the reason why. What is clear Allen will not get a clear answer, the principal has ethics issues and the school has lost another good coach who has handled this situation with professionalism.

[lbl]

"Apparently, it was true the the principal made the decision to get rid of the coach awhile ago. "

Again, who is it "apparent" to?

"Now he hides behind "it is a personnel matter," Why wasn't he prepared to tell Allen the reasons? "

How can one judge another's preparedness on something undisclosed?

"Was it a personnel matter when Allen asked the reason why? "

I'm guessing you mean "personal", not "personnel"? If not, I really don't understand.

"What is clear Allen will not get a clear answer, the principal has ethics issues and the school has lost another good coach who has handled this situation with professionalism."

How is it clear? Why are the principal's ethics called into question here? What other coaches are you referring to?

Please understand, I'm not arguing. I'm just trying to find some truth before we all make conclusions. I once (long ago) coached there and my resignation/dismissal was the result of many hands in the political cookie jar. The last thing the MCAS needs is LESS support from the community. Let's not be responsible for a smear campaign...unless it's due, of course...jk.

[Ang]

We will probably never know.

[MC Born & Raised]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=22677

[Ang]

Well, I guess I stand corrected. Mark Francesconi WOULD do something dirty and underhanded like that. His ethics issues must run far deeper than I originally thought.

I guess Mark is another sock-puppet controlled by administration.

Well, I hope Larry does well in Chicago. It would be poetic justice if he coaches another team and wins the state finals. Then Mark can sit is his corner office eating crow and thinking, "That could have been Michigan City."

[lbl]

A general FYI--

I talked to some teachers about Coach Allen...and, according to them, he is no teacher, he is not nice to the kids, insulting; the kind of teacher the paper reports negatively about, and the staff is VERY sensitive to people who hurt what they feel is an already unfairly damaged reputation etc...

I don't want any controversy, but teaching should hold precedent. I only post this so we can remember there are other factors that influence hiring and firing.

Also, for those of you not in education, a first year teacher can be fired with no specific explanation, other than unsatisfactory performance...I don't support or disagree, just information.

[teachmchs]

I talked to some teachers about Coach Allen...and, according to them, he is no teacher, he is not nice to the kids, insulting; the kind of teacher the paper reports negatively about, and the staff is VERY sensitive to people who hurt what they feel is an already unfairly damaged reputation

If we have a tarnished reputation it is our own doing. We committed enough unspeakable acts long before Allen came back to MC. It is my belief along with others; the principal should give Allen specific reasons why his contract is not being renew. However, it’s good to know that some of my colleagues assume that “he is no teacher, he is not nice to the kids, insulting” this adds a whole new viewpoint to this situation. I wonder how many of the teachers you talked to, have talked to him and expressed their beliefs or feelings.

I’ve had discussions with a couple of basketball players and students; I’ve overheard a few students in my class talk about Allen and from what I can ascertain he is basically a nice individual who has had problems with a few students who’ve made complaints. The students have said that they like him but he is sarcastic sometimes in a funny way. One player told me “he’s cool; he’ll help you when you need it, but he will snap on use if we don’t do what we suppose too.”

On one occasion I was in the library I overheard two students involved in an exchange where profanity was being used. Allen called over the young lady that was using the profanity and this is the funniest thing I heard a teacher say in a long while, “let me choose my words wisely, I ain’t telling you not to talk but you have to stop with the cussing.” At that point she started using profanity towards him. He told her to go to the office.

That is what I witnessed and I’ve overheard other stories. However, I have actually talked with him and if others would do the same they would have the opportunity to hear his side of the story. Just this week I saw Allen getting on one of his former players about something in Spanish class, I can’t tell you the last time I saw a coach involved in this type of action.

He does things different than administrators, teachers, and students are accustom to at MCHS. Instead of judging him maybe; we should try to find out want is actually going on. Instead of repeating comments from a few teachers who have not talked to him; why not demand that the principal tell him why his contract is not being renewed. Our is it just easier to find a few of his ex-colleagues to make negative comments about him, than it is to find out the facts.

[lbl]

If we have a tarnished reputation it is our own doing. We committed enough unspeakable acts long before Allen came back to MC. It is my belief along with others; the principal should give Allen specific reasons why his contract is not being renew. However, it’s good to know that some of my colleagues assume that “he is no teacher, he is not nice to the kids, insulting” this adds a whole new viewpoint to this situation. I wonder how many of the teachers you talked to, have talked to him and expressed their beliefs or feelings.

I’ve had discussions with a couple of basketball players and students; I’ve overheard a few students in my class talk about Allen and from what I can ascertain he is basically a nice individual who has had problems with a few students who’ve made complaints. The students have said that they like him but he is sarcastic sometimes in a funny way. One player told me “he’s cool; he’ll help you when you need it, but he will snap on use if we don’t do what we suppose too.”

On one occasion I was in the library I overheard two students involved in an exchange where profanity was being used. Allen called over the young lady that was using the profanity and this is the funniest thing I heard a teacher say in a long while, “let me choose my words wisely, I ain’t telling you not to talk but you have to stop with the cussing.” At that point she started using profanity towards him. He told her to go to the office.

That is what I witnessed and I’ve overheard other stories. However, I have actually talked with him and if others would do the same they would have the opportunity to hear his side of the story. Just this week I saw Allen getting on one of his former players about something in Spanish class, I can’t tell you the last time I saw a coach involved in this type of action.

He does things different than administrators, teachers, and students are accustom to at MCHS. Instead of judging him maybe; we should try to find out want is actually going on. Instead of repeating comments from a few teachers who have not talked to him; why not demand that the principal tell him why his contract is not being renewed. Our is it just easier to find a few of his ex-colleagues to make negative comments about him, than it is to find out the facts.

I apologize. I should have been more clear. My point was to show there might be more than what the paper printed on the issue. Historically, the paper hasn't been that kind toward the schools. I know there are lots of positive things in the MCAS, and there are many really good teachers. I wanted to put emphasis back on teaching, rather than whether the administration has personal issues with teachers/coaches and uses power to remove them. I would like to think that Mr. Francesconi and company are concerned with classroom instruction first.

I certainly did not intend to give hearsay weight, nor would I want to undermine teaching alliances. Again, I apologize for doing what has made the N-D somewhat infamous. I made a mistake in repeating what I heard, and you're right, we still don't know what happened, and probably never will. Let's work on getting the kids the best education!

By the way, congratulations on the new contract! I hope it's what you wanted...you've certainly earned it and the last two years must have been stressful on that front.

[MCFan]

Instead of asking teachers about coach Allen, why not ask if they think the principal is capable of treating a teacher in a unethical manner.

[lbl]

Instead of asking teachers about coach Allen, why not ask if they think the principal is capable of treating a teacher in a unethical manner.

I really don't want to pursue this any further, but the conversations were based in defense of the teacher, and those were the answers I got. In fact, I did question the possibility of unethical behavior. In three cases, that wasn't the answer. I'm sorry if you don't like it, and I certainly understand that three people does not a consensus make. However, all prior judgments concerning the issue were one-sided. I was just injecting a bit of doubt into what was written (in the N-D) and immediately accepted. But, as explained previously, the things I heard are basically hearsay, not factual, and somewhat sensational.

I was just entertaining another point of view. Imagine running MCHS in its current state. Everyone is down on you, every accomplishment doubted, un-promoted, and poo-pooed, and daily complaints. I just can't fathom why a professional would want to make his job tougher than it already is by acting inappropriately. Now would be the time to follow the book and make a stand for what is right, not further exacerbate the problem.

I support the MCAS. I believe in them, and I volunteer and promote for them (see the Positive MCAS thread I started). I just want to know why people are so quick to attack? Poor schools are usually a result of poor perception. Let's not play into it!

[Southsider2k12]

So I asked around a bit and found out somethings that kind of go with this story. Allen was specifically let go because of his teaching, and not his coaching. Much like any other employee in their first say 90 days of work, it the first year is basically a trial period, and the system can really give no explanation and still let someone go. Having talked with some people about the process in the past, the union is actually very active with trying to help first year teachers, but it doesn't always work out. I do know that Allen wasn't the only teacher let go in this manner. At MCHS alone, there are something like half a dozen who didn't make the cut.

I don't know anything about Allen's specific situation, but I do know this isn't just a one person thing, at least in general. I was also told that this was Allen's 8th job in 14 years, so that could be telling us something as well.

[MCFan]

I checked with coach Allen and I asked him about his working at eight different schools. He said, he has been at six schools including MCHS. At the five schools that he worked at prior to coming to MCHS, he held various positions such as Social Studies Department Chairperson at two schools, Assistant Athletic Director at one school, and Director of Student Services and while working at one school he was coaching at another high school.

According to Allen, while it my look like he is moving around what is actually happening is he was moving up, from classroom teacher to department chair, from department chair to Assistant Athletic Director to Director of student services. He also pointed out, that in a big system like Chicago you don't have to wait for someone to retire in your school to advance, people change schools on a regular basis to advance professionally.

More an importantly to Allen when I pointed out what was being posted, he said, "What does it matter to people how many schools I worked at? Why would anyone ask about the possibility of unethical behavior? Why would colleagues make comments to others based on hearsay? Only someone who was looking to make excuses for how I was treated would ask those questions. I understand the process I accepted the decision, so what matters is that I have decided to resign and move on."

[Southsider2k12]

The thing that was interesting to me was that this was not an isolated case, as it has been painted to be. I know that doesn't change any of the particulars in this case, and we probably will never know the details of it, because school administration isn't going to talk, because they don't want to open themselves up to a lawsuit. I don't know if a freedom of information act request would be apt here or not. It would be interesting to see the personnel records and see what is in there.