LTISD Info

Recently I came across a news article regarding, Allison Cobb, Principal of the LTISD Serene Hills Elementary School and an incident that occurred on April 6, 2004 while Allison Cobb was employed at the Val Alstyne ISD.

According to the May 25, 2004 Dallas Morning News:

Principal who quoted Bible at meeting quits

Woman says she was defending co-worker who was set to be fired

Author: TIARA M. ELLIS; Staff Writer

Dateline: VAN ALSTYNE

Article Text:

School officials in Grayson County capped a month long investigation Monday by accepting the resignation of an elementary school principal accused of quoting the Bible to her staff, among other violations.

Most of the allegations against Van Alstyne Elementary School principal Sandra Bodak stemmed from an April staff meeting in which she lectured teachers with Bible verses after suggesting that staff gossip led to the firing of the school’s assistant principal.

The assistant principal, Allison Cobb, also spoke at that meeting, referring to some staff members as “adulterers” and “abortionists.”

Ms. Cobb and Ms. Bodak have been on paid administrative leave since early April.

Earlier this month, district Superintendent Bill Lytle recommended to the school board that Ms. Bodak be fired for a litany of violations cited in the investigation: insubordination, unprofessional conduct, undermining the school board by discussing personnel issues, violating state policy regarding religious discussion by a public servant and breaching employees’ civil rights by “preaching to them.”

The board accepted a settlement agreement that pays Ms. Bodak $25,300. Her annual salary was $64,150.

“We believe the best interests of the district are served by approving the agreement with Ms. Bodak. Although the board believes the violations by Ms. Bodak and Ms. Cobb are serious … the board approved the agreement with Ms. Bodak to bring closure to the matter,” Mr. Lytle said, reading part of a written statement released at Monday’s school board meeting.

Neither Ms. Bodak nor Ms. Cobb could be reached for comment Monday.

Ms. Cobb, who was employed under a one-year temporary contract as are all district employees, was given notice at the April 5 school board meeting that she would be fired at the end of the school year, according to the meeting minutes. Officials would not release the reason for Ms. Cobb’s firing, saying it was a personnel issue.

Ms. Bodak, who had openly opposed Ms. Cobb’s dismissal, called a mandatory staff meeting the next day to announce the firing and told district officials that the meeting was going to have a positive tone, according to a district memo.

According to the investigation, Ms. Bodak said that the meeting’s purpose was to “nip this in the bud,” but that Van Alstyne is a “gossipy, traditional” place and that she regrets the meeting’s outcome. At the meeting, Ms. Bodak said that rumors among the staff about Ms. Cobb’s marital status had contributed to her firing. Ms. Bodak pointed to laws and school policy prohibiting the discussion of personnel issues. Then she stressed the importance of forgiveness and moving forward, according to the investigation documents.

Ms. Bodak concluded her comments by reading I Corinthians 13:4-8 to stress “love endures all circumstance” and then handed her Bible to Ms. Cobb, the investigation report said. Ms. Cobb then quoted a few Scriptures and clarified her marital status – divorced. She said none of the staff members had room to judge her, because some of them were “adulterers” and “abortionists” and had remarried. And she said she had chosen the high road over others in that room, according to multiple e-mails to district officials.

Harold Jones, a Dallas attorney, interviewed 18 people during the investigation, including the principals.

Ms. Cobb told Mr. Jones that the point of meeting with the staff was to clarify that she was in the right. “I have done nothing wrong. I have no regrets. It’s a deeply [ingrained] truth I’m fighting for. It would be like denying Christ to give up. I can’t. I won’t deny my beliefs.”

PTA board president Lisa Hundt said parents received a message at the end of April about Ms. Cobb and Ms. Bodak being placed on administrative leave.

“This has been very frustrating … that nothing was publicly stated about this,” said Ms. Hundt, who has one child at the elementary school and another who will begin school there next year.

Throughout the investigation Mr. Lytle has stressed that classes have continued as normal with retired middle school principal Kent Whitehead acting as principal through Wednesday, the last day of the school year.

Mr. Jones, who was paid about $11,000 for his services, reported his findings on April 16, Mr. Lytle said.

He made no recommendations but finished his report with the point that at least 11 employees said they did not think Ms. Bodak could lead the school.

Ms. Bodak met with Mr. Lytle and Assistant Superintendent Pam Parmley on April 22 and was offered the chance to resign. According to a memo of the notes from that meeting, Mr. Lytle told Ms. Bodak that he would “allow her a gracious exit” and suggested she seek legal counsel.

Ms. Bodak and Ms. Cobb will remain on paid administrative leave and continue to be employed by the district through June 30.

With Ms. Bodak’s resignation, the district will begin its search for a new principal and assistant principal.

“We can never guarantee this won’t happen again. What we do is hire the best possible people” to educate the students, Mr. Lytle said.

Ms. Bodak was principal at Van Alstyne for six years.

E-mail tellis@dallasnews.com

I bet Allison Cobb has never met LTISD Board member Mayo Davidson. She probably would have some more harsh words regarding how many times Mayo has been married.

Could this be the same “principal Allison Cobb” that Marco Alvarado (LTISD Director or Communications, Media & Community Relations) wrote about in the November 4, 2009 issue of the Lake Travis View?

“Just ask school principal Allison Cobb whose unique vision for professional development is resulting in a different kind of widespread fever among her staff. Call it the “motivation virus”

-”Special services teacher is first to obtain multiple certification,” Marco Alvarado, Lake Travis View, November 4, 2009

 

Marco must have known about Allison’s “motivational lecture” on April 6, 2004.  Talk about your “motivational virus!”

But let’s look at more evidence obtained from the Val Alstyne ISD^TPIA. You can read a lot more about the incident in which Allison Cobb was allegedly involved. Interesting reading, including many more news articles on the matter.

You can even read Allison Cobb’s LTISD job application which looks like it was FAXed to the district on April 6, 2004 at 12:04 A.M.^TPIA

Does Allison still believe “It’s a deeply [ingrained] truth I’m fighting for?”