TL/DR –
Abbot Elementary School Principal, Pamela Sica, was placed on leave after a child was left unattended in a locked school office. Sica returned to work on March 4 after serving a one-day suspension for taking responsibility for the incident, and has since recommended safety procedures for the end of the school day. Parents and teachers have supported Sica’s reinstatement, noting that the school often faces staffing issues.
Pamela Sica returns to Ann Arbor’s Abbot Elementary School after suspension
Abbot Elementary School Principal, Pamela Sica, has resumed her duties following a one-day suspension due to a child being left unattended in a locked school office after falling asleep. Sica returned to her position on March 4 after accepting responsibility for the incident which occurred on Feb. 12, according to Freedom of Information Act Request documents.
Sica was placed on leave on Feb. 14 after outlining the incident to Ann Arbor Public Schools administrators in a due process meeting. In the meeting, she proposed safety protocols to prevent similar occurrences and identified understaffing in the office clinic as a contributing factor to the incident.
A Busy Day at Abbot Elementary School
The 10-year-old student complained of a stomach ache and was taken to the office clinic where he fell asleep. Afterwards, Sica was occupied with multiple issues including a disciplinary incident involving a bus driver and concerns about missing students. She unintentionally left the clinic without checking on the sleeping student.
Subsequently, Sica received calls about a missing student from the school safety director and a teacher. She quickly realized the missing student was the one who had fallen asleep in the clinic and facilitated his reunification with his father. Sica then followed up with the parents, apologizing and accepting full responsibility for the incident.
Support for Principal Sica
Following her suspension, numerous parents and teachers advocated for Sica’s reinstatement, acknowledging her usual dedication despite staffing issues. Parents argued that the incident highlighted Sica’s plight in managing the front office single-handedly due to frequently insufficient staffing.
Sica, having served as Abbot’s principal for 14 years, returned on March 4 after her one-day suspension and has since implemented the proposed end-of-day safety protocols. Failure to adhere to these protocols, as stated in the incident report, may lead to further disciplinary action.
—
Read More US News