An ongoing conflict between the New Berlin Education Association and the New Berlin School Board may have finally come to a close. On Monday night, the school board voted unanimously to rescind charges and discipline against former NBEA Union President, Junior High Math Teacher, and Baseball Coach Joe Kindred. The board also approved a monetary settlement with Kindred who was dismissed from the district on June 25th.
Despite the personal victory, Kindred says that no one was a winner in the situation, especially the district’s students: “My wife and I on behalf of our family and my sons, we want to thank so many people from New Berlin for support throughout this summer after this happened. We also would like to thank my colleagues there at New Berlin, members of the New Berlin Education Association. Of course there is mixed feelings, but we are happy to have this in our rear view mirror for the most part. We are happy that what we feel like was a wrong was made right as best as it could be in Monday night’s decision to rescind the bill of particulars. On Thursday, the district has also rescinded discipline for my colleague Tonya Delaney, which is another really good thing for teachers in the New Berlin School District.”
Kindred says he’s thankful for the 16 years that he worked in the district: “I’m very thankful for being a part of the union over there, the New Berlin Education Association. I think we stood up for people in our union. I think we did it the right way, but this is not a situation where any side can say that they won. Because this year, the students of New Berlin, they are one math teacher shy of what they normally would have and I feel bad for them.”
Kindred says he wishes no ill will towards those who had him dismissed in June, and he personally has tried to see positives despite the very trying time of losing his job over the summer. North Greene Superintendent Mark Scott said in email communication today that Kindred had been hired by North Greene High School as a math teacher by the North Greene School Board on August 19th.
In a statement on the NBEA’s Facebook Page, they thanked Kindred for his service and commended Superintendent Jill Larson for also rescinding the discipline in Tonya Delaney’s file on Thursday evening. The NBEA said that they look forward to their continued collaboration with Larson, who replaced former Superintendent Adam Ehrman in May.
Delaney could not be reached for comment.
Language of the settlement between the New Berlin School District and Kindred has not been released.