School District Action Defended

I am disappointed by the choice of material for your “My Voice” column on Saturday (Valley Voice, Jan. 17).

While Amy Patterson is close to the person whom she writes about, she does not have first-hand knowledge of all the situations she describes.

I am the person chosen to replace Carol Benner as a high school media assistant. My immediate supervisor, Shirley Bonuccelli, is one of the most considerate and gracious persons I have had the pleasure to work for. She places herself not in the position of supervisor but as coworker.

One of the major requirements of this job is flexibility. One of Shirley’s few musts is customer service, which means we are there for the kids.

If that means not completing a task dealing with paperwork to help a student, that is what should happen.

Along with flexibility, the ability to change with the job is another major qualification.

Since I have been in this job, we have added new computers and printers, plus connected to the Internet. Just dealing with the malfunctions of this equipment is many times a full-time job.

One of Mrs. Benner’s hardships, as stated in Ms. Patterson’s letter, was that things changed - the office, supplies, attitude. In this day and age, change is inevitable and almost constant.

Ms. Patterson neglected to say that her mother’s lawsuit has been going on for approximately three years. It sure seems funny that if the school district was out to punish her for the lawsuit they would wait this long.

I believe the district bent over backward to accommodate Mrs. Benner, rather than “force” her to learn a new job, as Ms. Patterson stated.

She got extensive training at the school district’s expense to help her adjust to her new job as a head secretary (which incidentally pays a higher salary than the position of media assistant), plus she got extra help while learning her new job.

There are many jobs within the school district and moves from one position to another are never discouraged. I consider this to be a benefit of the job. If a position doesn’t suit you, move on. There is plenty of opportunity here.

We have a union contract and I am sure the district did not reach the decision to terminate Mrs. Benner’s employment lightly, nor was the decision based on how close she was to retirement.

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