A request for care, clarity, and a fair review.

Dear Casey and members of the Fremont Community School Board,

We are current and recent FCS parents and guardians writing about FCS’s decision to end Teacher Shannon’s work at Orchard, effective immediately.

Families were told on July 30 that Shannon would no longer be at Orchard. The announcement gave families no advance notice and did not offer children an opportunity to say goodbye. It came amid multiple recent teacher departures, adding to our questions about classroom stability, staff retention, decision-making, and communication with families.

We appreciate the board’s July 31 message acknowledging the impact on children and families, identifying the summer classroom team, announcing the August 6 forum, and outlining plans for an Education Director, dedicated HR support, and more direct feedback channels. Those steps are helpful. The message said the decision followed ‘months of ongoing conversations,’ but did not explain who participated in those conversations, whether specific concerns were presented to Shannon, whether Shannon had an opportunity to respond, who authorized the dismissal, or whether an impartial review or reconsideration will occur.

Those of us whose children have been taught or cared for by Shannon can speak to our own experience. We have experienced thoughtful communication, attention to individual children, and partnership with families, including around behavior and development. We know those experiences do not answer every employment question, but we believe they are relevant and should be considered.

We understand that the board cannot release confidential personnel information. We are not asking for personnel records or for conclusions before the facts are reviewed. We are asking the board to examine the decision and process, act on what the review finds, and provide meaningful transparency about the process, broader findings, and next steps.

With the information currently available to families, we believe the board should review the decision and keep reconsideration possible.

We ask the board to:

1. 01

   Conduct a prompt and impartial review. Use board members who were not involved in the decision or an outside professional. Review the reasons given for the decision, the evidence considered, what the board meant by ‘months of ongoing conversations,’ the notice and opportunity to respond provided to Shannon, the policies followed, and who had authority to make the decision.

2. 02

   Seek input from people with direct knowledge. Give Shannon an opportunity to respond to specific concerns. Interview relevant current and former co-teachers, staff members, and families. Offer a confidential way for people to share relevant information.

3. 03

   Keep reinstatement available as a possible outcome. If Shannon wants to return and the review finds no safety or legal barrier, give reinstatement serious consideration, including a workable support and accountability plan. Keep that option open until the review is complete.

4. 04

   Provide as much transparency as possible. Within legal and personnel limits, tell families who is conducting the review, what questions it will examine, what policies govern the process, when it will be complete, and what broader findings and next steps result. If legally permitted, clarify whether any safety or legal issue prevents reinstatement from being considered.

5. 05

   Support continuity for Orchard children. Provide a dated interim staffing plan, identify who is responsible for Orchard, and explain how the school will support children through the transition. If Shannon wishes to participate and no safety or legal restriction prevents it, offer an age-appropriate opportunity for children to say goodbye.

6. 06

   Examine staff experience and retention. Review recent staff departures, the ways staff can raise concerns, and whether current systems support candid communication and resolution. Share available aggregate turnover information and describe the steps the board will take to improve retention.

7. 07

   Set clear dates for follow-up. Use the August 6 family forum to hear concerns and answer process questions. Provide the review timeline, the date of a final follow-up, and implementation dates for the Education Director, HR support, and direct-feedback commitments.

We understand that some information must remain confidential. Within those limits, the board can explain how it is reviewing the decision, address the effect on children, examine governance and staff systems, and report any changes it will make.

We do not claim to know every disputed fact. We are asking the board to examine the facts through a fair process and to keep reinstatement available as a possible outcome. We care about FCS and everyone who makes it a community. We ask the board to address this promptly and with care for everyone involved.

Sincerely,
The undersigned FCS parents and guardians