Yuma High teacher dismissed

Yuma High School's Mark Rau was dismissed Monday from his job with Yuma Union High School District.

With a 3-2 vote the YUHSD governing board approved the recommendation of the hearing officer to remove marketing teacher Rau from his post, effective Monday at 5 p.m.

But Rau is considering his options, among them to appeal the board's decision.

"When one door shuts, another one opens," Rau said, adding that he's thinking about his next career move and is not ruling out teaching.

After a three-day hearing in March, a hearing officer recommended Rau's dismissal over findings related to several charges that determined his conduct "violates his teaching contract, which requires him to comply with all applicable laws and district policies."

According to findings, Rau mishandled money and did not properly keep record of receipts, deposit slips, purchase orders and sales when managing the student store, the Cell Block, and Yuma High's Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA).

Rau's attorney, John Meerchaum, said Rau has admitted to allegations of the mismanagement of finances but was not given the time of 75 to 80 days to correct them, a procedure stated under Arizona law.

Meerchaum said it is not reasonable to expect teachers to know all reference codes and accounting procedures when they are "teachers trying to teach."

"I mean, the district still hasn't proven and can't prove and will never prove that Mark stole any money because he didn't," Meerchaum said.

During the meeting, board member Robert Brown said that although there was no evidence to claim that money was lost, the way Rau handled the finances were "not good business practices."

Brown added that he wouldn't want his children learning the business procedures that Rau practiced.

Meerchaum said, "I thought it was very disappointing, you know. I think two board members obviously stood up for the rights of students and our community. It's awful disappointing when you have a teacher who is well-respected, well-received and well-loved ... basically get turned out to the cold."

Rau said the ones who truly are affected are the students who were taking his marketing class and DECA members.

Students and parents attended the special meeting Monday to support the teacher.

Former Yuma High student Jon Burke was a DECA member for three years and signed deposit slips frequently. He said he was never told by anyone in administration that it was done incorrectly.

"I've been in other clubs, too, and they do exactly the same thing" as the DECA club, Burke said.

He and other students have attended board meetings for months and have expressed support for Rau, he said.

Jordan Menna, Yuma High senior and Rau's student, said a substitute teaches the marketing class after several temporary substitutes.

"We have learned nothing," Menna said.

She said she has lost an opportunity to compete in DECA tournaments in areas where she's strongest.

"My senior year has been poop. It's been pretty awful because we haven't been able to do what we wanted to do. We need hands-on procedures (that) exercises us the way we need to," Menna said.

"I'm pretty upset with today's hearing ..," she said. "It's really frustrating that they've just lost a really good teacher."