Norwood middle and high school students have revved up for a second time in as many years to defend language arts teacher Lisa Doyle, who was criticized last year for placing Bless Me, Ultima on the reading list for her ninth-grade composition students.

Doyle, who is wrapping up her third year with the Norwood School District, was told last week by Acting Superintendent Larry Ranney that her contract would not be renewed for the next school year.

"I was absolutely shocked," the mother of 2-year-old Kellan Doyle said Wednesday night, at a standing-room-only gathering organized by student parent Marty Hollenbeck to show support for both Doyle and school counselor Beth Costa, another third-year staffer who has been told her contract will not be renewed.

Both women would be tenured employees of the district if their contracts were to be renewed for the next school year.

"I was shocked; I had no idea anything like this was coming," said Doyle, who was told that because her classroom management skills "have suffered," her contract would not be renewed.

"It's definitely because of the book-banning," one parent said Wednesday.

"There is a deeper issue here," Doyle agreed.

Not so, averred Ranney, in a telephone conversation Thursday morning.

"I don't know much about the book thing," he added, referring to last year's Ultima flap.

Ranney, a retired superintendent from the Silverton School District (and prior to that, a school superintendent on the Front Range), was asked by the Norwood School Board to step in this year when retiring Superintendent Bob Conder became seriously ill.

The district's decision to ban Ultima – all copies of the book were reportedly given to the one parent who lodged a complaint to destroy – drew attention from state and national media in early 2005, thanks in large part to the well-organized student protest of the book banning.

This time around, students are hoping to even more effectively rally around Doyle, although it's the five-member Norwood School Board that will have the final say about Doyle and Costa's future at its 7 p.m. meeting on Tuesday, May 16.

Doyle said Ranney urged her to resign at their May 10 meeting because then, "if he couldn't find anyone for the job, he could bring me back next year."

Ranney's explanation of that conversation is that he told Doyle, "You can go this route," resigning, "and leave the door open" to the possibility of being rehired, but that if the board decides "for non-renewal," he said, "that pretty much slams the door shut" on Doyle's future as a teacher in the Norwood schools.

In other words, Ranney explained, he was trying to give Doyle the opportunity for the news of non-renewal to "never reach the board" so that he would have an opportunity to rehire her.

"The superintendent can only do the initial hiring," he explained Thursday, whereas "only the board can hire and fire classified [tenured] staff."

But if Ranney were to rehire Doyle, would she then be considered, as "classified staff," eligible for tenure, and thus subject to the board's approval?

"That's a good question," he said.

At Wednesday's meeting, students and their parents handed around a list titled "Let Us Be Heard," listing what they believe are the strengths of Doyle and Costa.

The list praised Doyle for her "excellent preparation in English for students;" for inspiring many students, caring and listening to students, as a "student advocate" and a "good role model for all" as well as a "team player with other teachers" and for organizing extracurricular activities including the Writers Club, Poetry Slam, Play, Chap Book and as junior high Knowledge Bowl coach.

The list praised Costa for being "qualified to teach dual-credit English," something not available in the district prior to her arrival; for the district's students' "increased senior scholarship applications," including 16 to the Just for Kids Foundation; for arranging for one student to travel to Turkey, being an "incredible asset of information for all kids" and an "extremely effective counselor," the "best advocate for seniors we have ever had," and for insisting "on quality work for students."

"We want our school to be the best it can be," one parent said, going on to hug Doyle and tell her that "my 13-year-old daughter read a book for pleasure for the first time ever" this month, thanks to her teaching skills.

San Miguel County Commissioner Art Goodtimes, representing the county's West End, told the crowd "it's a mistake to have a revolving door in the Norwood schools.

"We have good people working here, and we want to keep them," Goodtimes said, going on to wonder if saving money could possibly be the board's reason to let go up-for-tenure teachers.

Both women are from the East Coast, Doyle from North Carolina and Costa, a Pennsylvania native, had "never been west of Pittsburgh" before moving to Norwood three years ago.

"I'm really disappointed that this is happening," said Costa, who is expecting her second child later this year.

Organizers of the event have called for a "massive letter-writing campaign" and phone calls to school board members and the superintendent urging renewal of both women's contracts. Five "strong speakers" will attend the Monday, May 16 meeting of the School Board (babysitting is available at Prime Time, said Andrya Brantingham, 327-0555; parents are asked to please call ahead). An unofficial petition calling for a reinstatement of the two is being passed around.

"We're just trying to be polite and present the facts of why they should be retained," said one organizer.

Meanwhile, plans for further protest are afoot among the 25 or 30 students who have already staged a sit-in protesting the two teachers' dismissals, but the students are reluctant to discuss their plans at this point.

In the meantime, Doyle and Costa are philosophical about the struggle. "It's a great opportunity for them to see the American system in action," said Costa, referring to the protesters hopes to influence the board's decision.

"Lisa heard Wednesday she would not be renewed," said one parent, "and on Friday, she was running a Poetry Slam down by the river just as enthusiastic as ever."

"She just has the greatest energy," Telluride Watch columnist Grace Herndon said of Doyle, who teaches her grandson. "I'm circulating the petitions," Herndon added, calling for the reinstatement of "these two teachers who have done more for the kids than anybody they've had for a long time."

The Man Against the Wall

Power to those who are used, abused

And have to choose, between a balanced opinion

And their jobs

To those who are afraid to raise their voice

To give words to what's in their minds

Afraid to write their own lines

Because those who were given power choose...

To take that gift and misuse it for their own gain

Try to better their own game

Who have forgotten how to feel shame

Forgotten how to feel at all

Too busy leaning on the wall

Watching other people live

And give their thoughts to each other

But he stays at the wall

Waiting for someone new to smother

With their opinions and beliefs

No one can really stand against him

We can only stall

Him as they attack our instructors and our peers

The people there with us for years

Showing us how to survive life

How to get through all the strife

And dodge all the knives

And poisoned words that are aimed

At driving us insane, over the edge

So that he can just blame it on the game.

But he controls the game

It is not freedom of speech or even thought anymore

We aren't allowed to even think for ourselves inside thos doors

Because the Man against the wall is in control

Of our futures, our friends and our souls

What he says goes, no one can oppose him

No one can say that this is wrong,

That it's all gone on too long

That it's time to listen to someone who's not the majority

Time the youth and our instructors got the ear

Of the authority

Because I am sick of watching

The man on the wall

Where the power all is

Watching him play with us

Like little wooden people on strings

Does this not ring true to anyone else

That he can move people around as he chooses

Because it's not him who loses, it's us

Our money, our friends, our happiness

Just to make sure the man against the wall

Has it all

All the power

All the voice

All the credit for the good done

So he can go have fun

Go play out in the snow

While we all try not to go insane

Go mad from all the pain

And the damage he inflicts

Because if he doesn't hurt you

He'll hurt someone you love

If he doesn't get you from behind

He'll use his excuse from above.

I have to wonder, why do we always let him go

Just because our elders can't take a stand

Someone should let the masses know

That when the man against the wall says something

It's all a pack of lies trying to disguise

His real intention

Which is always to better his game

He has no real shame

He thinks he has all the power

Because he has all the keys

Oh please! Does he expect

Us to get down on our knees around him

And listen to what he has say!?

Because we won't listen to his words

We don't care that he is hoarding

All the power

Because this time is ours

We will say, and think, and believe in ourselves

Even though the Man against the wall

Would put us on the shelves

And talk about how we are a lost generation

How we need to respect his station!

But how can we, when all we see

Is power-mad idiocy?

(Sarah Stetzer is a Norwood High school sophomore who was instrumental in organizing last year's student protest of the banning of Bless Me, Ultima, and is now working to organize a student protest regarding the non-renewal of Lisa Doyle, the teacher who assigned it.)