By Kathryn Cross
After the Manhattan Beach Board of trustees approved the non-reelect of French teacher Timothy Hirsh on March 4 in a closed session, which initiated over 15 Mira Costa students and parents to speak against the MBUSD board’s decision in the public comment of the open session, the vote to non-relect Hirsh is put back on to the March 18 agenda for the closed session board meeting.
Principal Ben Dale initially recommended Hirsh, a second-year probationary teacher, for non-reelect since it is entirely the principals discretion to nominate a probationary teacher for non-reelecttion which show that Hirsh reportedly violated the MBUSD Teaching Standard of “a high degree of professionalism” when his sub plan for Nov. 20 and 21 included 26 minutes of free time for students. However, it is ambiguous as to whether Hirsh’s final evaluation was used in Dale’s decision to put him up for non-reelect.
“Like all principals, I take the responsibility of reviewing teachers very seriously,” Dale said. “I make my decision for each teacher based on a wide variety of observations, interactions and other input.”
After the Nov. 17 threats made against Mira Costa through Yik Yak, Hirsh did not feel comfortable going to school and instead, he created the lesson plan for a substitute in his place. By planning 26 minutes of free time, Hirsh showed a “lack of preparation in providing appropriate lesson plans for his substitute in his absence,” according to Hirsh’s final evaluation.
Additionally, Hirsh’s final evaluation stated that during the Feb. 9 eighth grade orientation program at Costa, Hirsh’s “onstage behavior did not demonstrate the proper respect for the event or those in attendance.”
“I disagreed with the idea that the performance during the eighth grade orientation was not good,” Hirsh said. “I thought I did a good job.”
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