`Adams-King: Hire more minorities`

By Jennifer Hall
Herald Staff Writer

With a simple “no” vote against the hiring of an elementary school teacher, the Sharon school board president said Monday she was making a statement about the district’s commitment to hiring minorities.

The Rev. Lora Adams-King said she voted against hiring Kathleen Petrini of Sharon because administrators only advertised the position internally, not providing the opportunity for “qualified” minorities outside of the school district to apply for the job.

“It’s nothing against Ms. Petrini,” she said. “It’s just that the administration has made the commitment and I don’t think they are following through on it.”

The remainder of the directors voted to hire Ms. Petrini. Heather Greene was also named to an elementary position, but Mrs. Adams-King said she observed Ms. Greene teach and voted to approve that position.

Superintendent Richard Rossi said the administration is committed to hiring minorities. “But there are so many great teachers’ aids in the classrooms and this is almost a stepping stone in trying to get a full-time job,” he said, adding that both women were aids.

Rossi said the administration has been “aggressively” looking for minorities but often the candidates are lost to bigger towns such as Youngstown or Pittsburgh because of money.

The administration has been making contacts, advertising the jobs and planning to attend a job fair in the south in search of minority candidates.

Two teachers in the district are African American and Mrs. Adams-King said the district has no Asian or Hispanic employees.

“I think it’s an insult that we do not have a faculty that is representative of the community,” Mrs. Adams-King said.

Mrs. Adams-King said she felt if the positions had been advertised and not simply posted, minorities from the community who are qualified could’ve had a shot at getting the job. “I’m sure that we overlooked a qualified minority candidate within the community,” she said. “I’m sick of it and the community should be too.”

Rossi said he agreed the faculty doesn’t reflect the community. “But the charge from the board is to bring the brightest and the best,” he said. “If minorities apply and the board wants us to just bring on minorities we will do that.”

The following other employees were hired Monday along with Ms. Petrini and will be paid $30,425:

Krista Boyd of Hermitage teaching Spanish.

Shane Thomas of Lebanon, Pa., teaching math.

Ms. Greene of Sharon, as a long-term substitute for the elementary schools.

Kathleen MacArthur of Meadville, as a school psychologist.

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Updated July 28, 1998
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