To the Editor:

I just finished reading the letter in the Dec. 4 issue of The Enterprise, submitted by Catherine Berschwinger. I was pleased to know others are disturbed by the decision of Guilderland Central School District administrators to continue to employ a convicted felon. Superintendent Marie Wiles states this teacher embezzled no money from district funds and did not involve taxpayer money.

So now the Guilderland taxpayers are paying this teacher not to teach, and paying another teacher to be in the classroom doing her job. Are they being mindful of your tax dollars?

We also have this person working in the district office with access to everyone’s personnel records and who knows what else! If she is not trusted with access to files and records, then why is she there?

It also has to be said, most every other GCSD employee placed on administrative leave (for nothing even remotely as bad as what she did) was told in writing not to even set foot on any school properties! Then most were severely disciplined or terminated!

If there is an extenuating circumstance here, it should not be held in the shadows, using smoke and mirrors. The taxpayers deserve an answer, an honest one.

These administrators are making decisions that are affecting people’s lives and families. They should not be allowed to pick and choose without being questioned. Superintendent Wiles’s answer was not an answer at all! Do you know anyone who has been terminated from the GCSD, (some with good reason, some unfairly) but for incredibly less than what Brenda McClaine did! How must they feel?

I am a recently retired school bus driver with over 22 years of service to the residents of Guilderland.  I have loved the portion of my job that let me get to know your children and many of the parents. I have spent many hours speaking to and helping my passengers through difficulties. I’ve taken up more than a few issues for them by going the extra mile and dealing with school personnel when they felt it hopeless. I cared.

I have also watched the underbelly of the GCSD at work. Those of you who are aware and try to hold district administrators accountable, thank you. For the others who have this sick feeling in the pit of their stomachs, and don’t know why, there is good reason for it. I have spent nearly 20 years trying to hold school supervisors and administrators accountable, and they don’t like it. They do not want to be questioned. I myself became a target.

I have watched certain GCSD administrators severely discipline or terminate employees when they did not have to go that far. Then we have the same school officials looking the other way concerning a convicted felon.

It simply just depends on who you are and who you know. Nepotism and cronyism should not continue to be tolerated by the Guilderland taxpayers. You should demand they be always mindful regarding theft, greed, and mismanagement when it comes to your tax dollars — not just sometimes or most times — all the time.

Ask Superintendent Wiles if this was her decision not to fire this teacher, or was it the school board’s. Did the school board vote on this issue and how did each one vote? Finally, ask yourselves, if this was a food-service worker who served your kids lunch, or a custodian, or even a different teacher who committed this crime, would they have had this same outcome?

I am familiar with several names of concerned parents and taxpayers who have penned their concerns about other issues within the GCSD. If any of you want to get to the bottom of some of those issues, I believe I have a lot to offer.

Finally, I want to thank you, Catherine Berschwinger for speaking your mind. You are not alone.

Timothy F. Thivierge

Retired GCSD bus driver

Editor’s note: See related story.