Teacher urges board to reconsider nonrenewal of administrator Mike Rizzo

Middle school teacher Christie Foster addressed the District 7 School Board during public comment Monday to urge trustees to reconsider the nonrenewal of administrator Mike Rizzo.

Foster described Rizzo as a visible, engaged presence at the school who “engages with my students, learns their names, and treats them with warmth and humor.” “He made connections that made our school feel safer, happier, and more human,” Foster said. She told trustees that Rizzo supported programs such as the gifted-and-talented activities she organized and that his daily presence and attention helped build consistency after a period of frequent leadership changes at the school.

Foster said she did not know all the details behind the personnel decision but urged the board to acknowledge the grief and confusion that an announcement like the nonrenewal creates among staff and students. "Saying we appreciate professionalism is not the same as recognizing the loss of someone who was making a real difference," she said.

The remark was part of the meeting’s public comment period; no board action on the nonrenewal was recorded during the meeting minutes for that agenda item.

Ending: Foster’s public comment joins other staff and community remarks the board heard while the trustees considered personnel, boundary and budget items during the evening session.