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Pullman school board votes to nonrenew teacher Shiari McNeel after extensive public comment
Summary
After an executive-session review, the Pullman School District board accepted the superintendent’s recommendation to nonrenew teacher Shiari McNeel; the decision drew dozens of public comments praising McNeel’s classroom work and raised questions about evaluation consistency and an external Clear Risk report.
The Pullman School District Board of Directors voted to accept Superintendent Dr. Maxwell’s recommendation to nonrenew the contract of teacher Shiari McNeel, a decision that prompted sustained public comment and calls for greater transparency.
Parents, colleagues and community members filled the meeting’s public-comment period to urge the board to reconsider. Nathan Haskell read a letter on behalf of a Kamiak Elementary parent, saying McNeel’s classroom “built systems that honored every student” and arguing that her students had grown "excited about learning." Several other parents recounted similar experiences, describing academic gains and personal attention that, they said, justified renewing her contract.
The session also included comments from local educator-affiliates who raised concerns about the evaluative process. One speaker who identified herself as a teacher educator noted that McNeel had been rated “proficient” during her first two years under the TEP evaluation system and said a later drop in rating under different building leadership raised questions about evaluative consistency and whether supports had been provided. "When we see this kind of abrupt change, it often reflects a shift in evaluative lens rather than a meaningful decline," the commenter said.
At least one public commenter referenced findings from a Clear Risk investigation and urged board transparency; the board did not discuss the details of that report during open session. Supporters also raised equity concerns. Air Gilmore, a teacher educator at Washington State University, said that removing one of the district’s few Black teachers without clear, objective justification risked harming representation and retention: "The fact that we have these folks that have made this decision without doing enough due diligence...really breaks my heart," Gilmore said.
Board members recessed to executive session to review the performance of a public employee and then returned to open session. The board president moved to accept the superintendent’s recommendation to nonrenew McNeel’s contract and authorized the board president to work with legal counsel to prepare the required response; the motion passed on a voice vote.
Board officials did not provide additional detail about the reasons for nonrenewal during the open meeting and said personnel matters are handled according to state and district procedures. Several speakers urged the board to clarify what supports were offered to McNeel, to explain the evaluation change and to make public any relevant evidence that can be lawfully disclosed.
The board also heard a range of other public comments at the meeting, including requests for more proactive planning for special-education needs and multiple student-program reports. The board did not announce further public dates for reconsideration of the McNeel decision at the meeting.
