By Brenda Ortega
MEA Voice Editor

For two decades Valerie Hopkins has faced challenges and celebrated joys of teaching early elementary school in Evart Public Schools northwest of Mt. Pleasant. Four years ago she became president of her local union to make things right for members frozen on steps.

She never imagined the courage and grit she would need to summon serving as a voice for teachers and other school employees who suddenly found themselves working in fear from intimidation by two school board members wielding power to advance personal agendas.

But she dug deep and found her strength. “I’ve always tried to let my members know I’m taking their concerns seriously and I’m not going to let people get away with harassment and abuse just because they’re powerful,” Hopkins said.

The board members, Treasurer Eric Schmidt and Trustee Mark Moody, have used their positions to publicly accuse, disparage, and demean teachers, support staff, athletic coaches, and administrators and to access staff evaluation files and grading data.

The harassment, which included wholly unsubstantiated claims of theft and sexual misconduct against two school employees, continued through the 2022-23 school year until Hopkins decided to take a public stand one year ago. To do so she had to face her own fears.

“It’s been very stressful and disheartening; every night I went home and thought about it. It’s hard when you know you’re doing the right thing, but the loudest people are the ones giving the wrong message.”

The two school board members are prominent in the community. Schmidt owns a local business and a printing company where he produces a pamphlet called Talk of the Town sometimes used to promote his words and actions.

Staff morale had plummeted, and teachers were leaving for other districts or considering it. A letter written with MEA support was read aloud by Hopkins at the August 2023 Board meeting, demanding an investigation and detailing how the board members’ actions violated school board policy.

“During the past school year, we have had to live under the constant eye of these two board members and their tactics that cause us to feel intimidated and unsafe, always waiting to find out if we were next on the list to endure their public scrutiny,” she read from her statement.

“Teachers and staff cannot endure another year of an emotionally taxing environment that is taking its toll on great educators who love their jobs and just want to come in each day and teach.”

Early last fall when newly appointed MEA UniServ Director Ryan Grinnell began work alongside Hopkins, the membership was ready to rally around their leader now taking heat from the two men. Grinnell and Hopkins also enlisted help from the support personnel and transportation units.

Executive boards from all three unions voted to issue a joint statement to the school board in October, which led to an investigation. In a hearing last February, the two officials were found guilty of more than a dozen counts each of violating the school board’s code of ethics.

Last spring the board majority issued a Public Resolution of Censure against the pair, which doesn’t guarantee a stop to the behavior but sends notice, “They can’t act as a board of one,” Hopkins said.

“I’ve had community members that I rarely talk to coming out of the bleachers and telling me to keep going, that I’m doing the right thing, and that’s something on the bad days that helps me push through.”

Grinnell said the unions will turn up the heat if harassing behavior continues this school year by reporting every instance to the board in expectation of “progressive discipline.”

“This is a story of the power of concerted effort at overcoming fear and attempted division to influence even your elected officials,” Grinnell said. “Staff and students both deserve a safe and healthy school environment where teaching and learning can happen.”