Teaching Profession News in Brief

Teacher of the Year in Oregon Fired

By The Associated Press — April 14, 2015 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A special education teacher has been fired the year after winning Oregon’s teacher of the year award.

The Multnomah Education Service District said Brett Bigham lost focus and prioritized outside activities after winning the 2014 award. The issue of absences came to light in February when officials initially threatened Mr. Bigham with termination if he attended a gala in Washington, where he was to receive a national education award.

He filed two complaints in recent months against the district with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, alleging sexual-orientation discrimination and retaliation. Mr. Bigham said that the district miscalculated his absences, and that the firing is retaliation for filing complaints.

A version of this article appeared in the April 15, 2015 edition of Education Week as Teacher of the Year in Oregon Fired

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special Education Webinar
Big Goals, Small Start: Building MTSS to Scale
MTSS is a powerful framework for supporting student success, but implementation can be challenging. Learn from districts about their MTSS success stories and challenges.
Content provided by Panorama Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Exploring Staff Shortage Impact on Education
Learn about the impact of staff shortages, changing roles of educators, and how technology supports teachers & students.
Content provided by Promethean
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Improving Outcomes on State Assessments with Data-Driven Strategies
State testing is around the corner! Join us as we discuss how teachers can use formative data to drive improved outcomes on state assessments.
Content provided by Instructure

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession Five Ways Teachers Are Spending Their Spring Break
Punxsutawney Phil may have seen his shadow, but springtime is almost here. See how teachers are spending spring break this year.
1 min read
Sunrise and bokeh over paddy rice field. Paddy field farming at sunrise.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Teaching Profession Teachers of Color Are Most at Risk in Upcoming Layoffs, Report Says
They're more likely to be in their first few years of teaching—and let go under seniority-based layoff rules.
5 min read
Layoffs are illustrated by an oversized pair of scissors, that looms over seven teachers of color sitting in chairs suspended by strings. The teachers using their laptop computers and mobile devices.
DigitalVision/Vectors + EdWeek
Teaching Profession How Districts Can Support Teachers and Convince Them to Stay
Teachers want their voices heard in policy decisions that affect the classroom, panelists said.
4 min read
Virginia Teacher of the Year, Rodney Robinson, center right, smiles as he is honored on the floor of the Virginia House of Delegates as Del. Steven Landes, R-Augusta, left, applauds during the House session at the Capitol on Jan. 24, 2019. Robinson was named the 2019 National Teacher of the Year. He will spend the next year traveling around the country as an ambassador for education and an advocate for teachers and students.
Rodney Robinson of Virginia was the 2019 National Teacher of the Year. He spoke on a panel about the teaching profession at SXSW EDU in Austin on March 7.
Steve Helber/AP
Teaching Profession A Hotline for Educators: Advocacy Group Pledges Support in Midst of Ugly Politics
A nonpartisan group says it will offer educators a range of supports for educators accused of violating new restrictions on what can be taught in class.
6 min read
Protesters gather outside the Moms for Liberty National Summit, July 15, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. Republican groups that sought to get hundreds of “parents’ rights” activists elected to local school boards largely fell short in Tuesday’s elections. The push has been boosted by Republican groups including the 1776 Project PAC, but just a third of its roughly 50 candidates won.
Protesters gather outside the Moms for Liberty National Summit on July 15, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. A new effort by the Campaign for Our Shared Future seeks to serve as a counterweight to the group, offering support for educators who must navigate new laws prohibiting certain topics.
Lauren Witte/Tampa Bay Times via AP