OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — A teacher in the Shawnee Mission School District quit her job Monday night amid ongoing contract negotiations.
When Amanda Coffman stepped to the podium during the board of education meeting, she gave an emotional farewell speech.
“Teaching is like a bad marriage, you never get your needs met, but you stay in it for the kids,” she said.
Coffman compared her interactions with the district to a bad relationship with poor communication.
“You aren’t listening,” she said as she looked up at the board of education. “…When you failed to show up to the conversation and sent your lawyer instead, I finally understood this just isn’t going to work. The kids and I deserve better. “
This was the first meeting since the board approved a three-year teacher contract. This followed a long negotiation period. Teachers now have three options– they can accept the new contract, they can work under the terms of the old contract or they can resign.
Coffman went on to say speaking to administrators in the district is like shouting into the wind.
“I don’t know what I’ll be doing when the bell rings at 8:40 tomorrow morning,” Coffman said getting emotional. “But I won’t be greeting you in the hallways. Please don’t see my empty doorway as a sign that I’ve abandoned you or that I don’t care.”
She emphasized that her students are still her favorite humans, and that she will always be their biggest advocate.
Those at the meeting cheered for Coffman as she stepped away from the podium and walked back to her seat.
“That teacher made a decision to resign,” a spokesperson for the Shawee Mission District said in a statement. “I would never comment on the choice that an individual teacher makes.”
You can watch her entire 3 minutes 32 second speech in the video player above.
