Many people in the Council Rock community probably got the news about the Robert Hawkins sentencing in the Courier Times article by Laurie Mason Schroeder. However, before the printed article appeared, there was an on-line version by Ms. Mason that appeared at the Intelligencer’s website. They were largely mirror images but there was one area of detail in the on-line version which did not appear in print: names of teachers who had submitted letters expressing support for Mr. Hawkins.
The Courier Times article mentioned only that several teachers as well as numerous former students had submitted letters to the court in support of Mr. Hawkins. However, Laurie Mason’s on-line post contained names of teachers who had submitted letters. Only one teacher was named in court, David Jacoby. However, the on-line Intelligencer item states that letters were also submitted by Josephine Celano, Patricia Schmieg, Rodger Breidenbach and Donna Pianoforte. The Intelligencer reference isn’t clear whether these were the only teachers who submitted such letters or whether there were more and the list simply included these individuals — however, in court, one reference was made to a former Council Rock teacher now in Oklahoma submitting a letter.
In addition to being teachers, most of these hold leadership positions within the District according to information on the District’s website. Josephine Celano is Department Coordinator for Mathematics at Council Rock High School North. Dr. Patricia Schmieg holds that same Math Department Coordinator position at Council Rock South. David Jacoby is Department Chair/Coordinator for Social Studies at Council Rock South (currently away on military deployment). Donna Pianoforte is listed as the overall District Mathematics Coordinator.
Mr. Breidenbach is shown as having retired as a Math teacher from Council Rock effective June 15, 2007 — the correct spelling of his first name is unclear (the Intelligencer article posted a (cq) next to his name); one set of CRSD Board Meeting minutes (6/21/07) lists his resignation with the name Rodger and another (5/17/07) as Roger.
The submission of letters by teachers in support of Mr. Hawkins may be a cause for concern as the District struggles with trust issues raised by the entire Robert Hawkins matter, particularly since such letters reportedly came from people in leadership roles in the District.
Filed under: Council Rock, Crime, Ethics, Teachers Tagged: | Crime, Ethics, Law, Teachers
I hate this school and all of the teachers that are in it. My child likes only a select few and I know that the names of the teachers mentioned, she hated and clearly must be STUPID to support this sick (expletive).