Wyandotte Public Schools Human Resource Director Tonya Brodie
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE – In the midst of a pandemic surge that has challenged educators statewide, Wyandotte Public Schools Supt. Catherine Cost expressed her anger over the 7 percent teacher absenteeism rate in the district.
“We don’t have a sub shortage,” Cost said. “We have an absentee problem.”
She said the teacher contract has language and the administration may ask for verification, but she said it is “a slippery slope.”
“I can go to the chiropractor and take a whole day off and call in sick,” Cost said.
Human Resources Director Tonya Brodie said she implemented a raffle to reward teachers with six weeks of perfect attendance.
“My original idea was I wanted to raffle off a car,” she said amid laughter. “But we settled for a $100 Amazon gift card.”
Brodie said she awarded six gift cards per week, for the six-week time period, one per unit, for those with six weeks of perfect attendance.
“It didn’t make that much of a difference,” she said. “In fact, it got higher.”
Cost said she credits Brodie for trying to be creative.
Brodie said that after the holidays, some teachers were in quarantine because of COVID-19 exposure.
“It is higher coming off of break,” she said.
Trustee Dana Browning asked how teachers can prove that they need to be in quarantine.
Brodie said that most teachers do not want to use up their sick time for unnecessary quarantine.
“For the most part, people want to come and work,” Brodie said, adding that many in quarantine have tested positive. “You don’t ask for proof that they are positive.”