Mike Williams, Jenny Marsh honored by Othello School Board
OTHELLO — Former Othello High School wrestling coach Mike Williams and district psychologist Jenny Marsh were recognized by the Othello School Board during the regular board meeting Monday.
Williams recently was named to the Washington Wrestling Hall of Fame. Marsh received recognition as the 2016 School Psychologist of the Year by the Washington Association of School Psychologists. Each received a certificate from the board.
Williams worked as teacher and coach for 30 years, said board chair Juan Garza. Williams said he worked for another decade or so as a substitute janitor, and liked that too.
Williams said he’s been in Othello 50 years, having originally come to town to teach science and coach football and wrestling. He didn’t know how to coach wrestling, he recalled telling school officials, but they weren’t worried. All they needed, he remembered them saying, was a warm body. “And that’s what they got, for a while. Because I didn’t know anything about it.” Over time he learned, he said.
Marsh has worked in Othello 36 years, going on 37, she said. “I have to tell you I was really surprised,” she said. She didn’t quite believe it when they announced her name. She has one more year to retirement — maybe, she said. She’s not sure yet.
In other business, the resignation of the Othello School District IT director prompted a discussion about information and micromanagement.
The resignation of IT director Glenn Whitcomb was part of the consent agenda. Board member Mike Garza said he had been asked about the resignation by a district patron, and didn’t have an answer. Garza said the district patron who asked him expressed dissatisfaction.
“Someone asked me today — this evening — about our IT director, and I said, ‘well, it’s the first I’ve heard of it, so I don’t know anything about it,’” said board member Rob Simmons. The board used to receive some information about district business, such as the reasons for a resignation. But that policy changed in July, said assistant superintendent Pete Perez.
As a result that information is not part of the public record, and Simmons said that meant he couldn’t answer the question even if he knew the reason. Garza said he would like to know a little bit more in some cases, to “perhaps identify if it was something that we as a district can avoid, if it was something we can improve on.”
Board member Tony Ashton said the previous policies were put in place before the board changed the way it operates. “From my view, if somebody is resigning, and it really has nothing to do with the board, for the board to do anything different or the district to anything different, it’s nothing I need to be aware of.” He said it could lead to micromanagement by the board.
But, Ashton said, if an evaluation was conducted and “if there was something that stuck out that pertained to the board in retaining staff, I’d be interested in it.” Both Simmons and Mike Garza said they agreed with that. Board members might not need to know everything, Garza said, but any information that pertains to the board should be passed on to the board.
Juan Garza said he was informed about the resignation Friday, but didn’t pass the information on to the other board members. Board members can go in and ask about details on any subject, he said.
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