BOARD MEMORANDUM

PRINCETON REGIONAL SCHOOLS
Board of Education

Subject: Rue Case

At the time the Clyde (Bud) Rue case was described, some Board members expressed a desire for more information. Some of you did this in other cases but in all the others, requests were specific and I attempted to answer them. In the Rue case, the request was never made specific, even though I asked on more than one occasion what specific information the Board desired. I thought that the materials the Board received reflected the supervisory information in the case. I did not understand what additional information the Board might be seeking.

Further, I had concluded, by the time we reached the Rue case in the overall tenure case review process, that extraordinary positive comment by me on this or other cases might have the effect of weighting the recommendations in a way that (1) would be inconsistent with the supervisory information discussed with the teachers and (2) might therefore be unintentionally injurious to one or more teachers. (My reluctance to "oversell" certain recommendations also seemed consistent with the Board's criticisms last year and their requests this year for straightforward information about strengths and weaknesses and without laudatory comments.)

I believe the Board's lack of Board affirmative action on Bud Rue may have resulted from the apparent misunderstandings between the Board and Superintendent about the context in which the recommendation was dealt with, as I describe it above.

Bud Rue is aware that I think the action on his recommendation may have been so affected, I hope you will consider all of this along with my request that you meet with Mr. Rue (see letter copy attached).

74-1 34 Number

Phillip Eby McPherson Prepared by

May 17, 1974 Date

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PRINCETON REGIONAL SCHOOLS
OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

Mr. Clyde Rue
John Witherspoon Middle School
Princeton, New Jersey 08540

Dear Mr. Rue: Bud,

At the April 30 public meeting, the Board indicated that they had discussed further but would not act affirmatively on my recommendation that you be appointed for 1974-75.

On April 23, I told you some of the reasons I thought the Board had not acted affirmatively on my recommendation. However, I do not think it was or is possible for me to adequately provide you with the Board's reasons. And since your case is unique in the Regional school system and not covered by any due process provisions of the PREA contract, I will recommend to the Board, in sending them a copy of this letter, that they meet with you to discuss with you their reasons for not reappointing you.

Sincerely, Phillip Eby McPherson Superintendent of Schools

PEM:rtk
cc: Board of Education