Support gathers for VC educator

By Kerry Butrick Dowling
Posted 5/17/22

Long-time Valley Central School District employee Tammy Coleman had supporters showing up on her behalf at the recent Board of Education Meeting after reports surfaced that district officials are …

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Support gathers for VC educator

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Long-time Valley Central School District employee Tammy Coleman had supporters showing up on her behalf at the recent Board of Education Meeting after reports surfaced that district officials are seeking to fire her with only three years remaining until she retires. With more than 23 years in the Valley Central School District, Coleman has worked her way up the ranks having numerous roles over the past two decades.

Her career with the Valley Central School District began in 1999, when she was hired as a middle school computer teacher. She was a tenured teacher prior to moving over to working in administration after earning her administrator degree at the urging of colleagues and former supervisors. Coleman’s responsibilities with the district are no small feat, she is currently the Director of APPR, the Director of Data and Testing, and the Director of the Universal Pre-K program. In 2021, Coleman applied for a UPK Expansion Grant and the VCSD was awarded $400,000 in Expansion Grant Funding.

Coleman asked the status of her tenure two years ago and she was denied the opportunity at the time with the district saying she would not be awarded tenure because officials wanted another year to evaluate her performance. Now in her fifth year, she is being asked to resign or she will be terminated with no explanation given or deficiencies in her performance being discussed according to those close to Coleman.

In a phone call with the Wallkill Valley Times, Coleman’s sister Kimberly Lopez, also a teacher in the district, shared, “She has always done her job and done it well. This is very upsetting and everyone is just shocked.”

Lopez went on to say that her sister has had reviews and evaluations over her 23 years that have all been glowing. “She was basically approached by administrators over the years to move into these other roles because she did a good job and was efficient. That’s why this is so surprising to anyone who knows her. It is deplorable and outrageous that this district is moving to terminate her. Tammy has three years left until she can retire. This has caused her great stress and suffering. She has been nothing but an exemplary employee her entire career,” said Lopez.

Lopez also started a petition on Change.org to seek signatures of support for her sister.

“This is 100% a wrongful termination! I ask that you sign this petition on behalf of Tammy Coleman so it can be submitted to the Board of Education and they will see how many people support Tammy,” Lopez wrote.

As of Monday night, the petition had received 434 signatures.

The Wallkill Valley Times reached out to the Valley Central School District and School Board officials for comment but both declined to discuss personnel matters at this time. The Board is expected to vote on Coleman’s fate during the meeting on May 23.