Schools

Students, Parents Rally to Keep Popular Teacher

Details of the reported transfer of popular and longtime P.E. teacher Tim Tahti are scant, and could not be confirmed by the district because of privacy laws.

A popular P.E. teacher is reportedly being transferred from , and parents and students say they don't know why.

Those dropping their children off Monday morning at the middle school in Murrieta were greeted with a crowd of parents and students wearing blue decorated T-shirts and sporting signs saying "Keep Mr. Tahti" and "Honk for Mr. T."

Parents say some of their children were told last week that Tim Tahti, a longtime teacher who also runs a running club at the school as well as Associated Student Body, would be transferred out of the school.

Find out what's happening in Murrietawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The reaction of students and parents has been one of confusion.

State law does not allow the Murrieta Valley Unified School District to give information about personnel issues, spokesperson Karen Parris said Monday.

Find out what's happening in Murrietawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Therefore, Parris could not confirm the transfer or give any details.

"There are protections provided for our employees in California statutes," Parris said. "It is not a matter of trying to keep this secret...It makes it really difficult to deal with these situations."

Parents said they and their students would continue to rally to keep Tahti at the school.

"I have almost like a civil duty to teachers," said Daysis Urias, a parent of seventh-grader at Shivela. "Mr. Tahti has become such a mentor to my girl."

Urias' daughter was a member of the running club, which met--up until last week--at 6:45 a.m. three days a week to run several miles.

"I am just apalled and sad," she said.

According to Urias, Tahti and his wife, Carmen, who also teaches P.E. at the school and ran the running club alongside her husband, told the club members last week of the impending transfer.

"My daughter has been in running club since last year," Urias said. "It gets her going through the day. I know there are Hispanic kids that run and that is huge.

"They (the Tahtis) are there on the dot--rain, drizzle, they are there," she said.

"So if it is wearing blue to show love, I am willing to go as far as I need to go. I have a candle lit for Mr. Tahti and I am praying for him because I believe prayer works."

To that end, parents are sending numerous emails to district officials and governing board members.

Many parents say they are being told the transfer is under review.

In an email obtained by Patch, a governing board member responded to a parent's email by saying, in part:

"...The board of education is weighing heavily the options and we want to do right by kids as well as staff..."

In an email to Patch, one parent said:

"This is ridiculous! We as parents should know what Mr. Tahti did that was so horrible he got transferred. The students love him!"

Tahti, who does the school's morning announcements, was heard on the loud speaker Monday.

Some parents said his last day at Shivela was tentatively Tuesday.

That could not be confirmed with the district.

Students were routing petitions on the teacher's behalf, and a Facebook page, "Help Save Mr. Tahti -- Keep Him at Shivela," was set up.

Tahti is also known to volunteer as Santa for the city of Murrieta's Santa stops in neighborhoods each year.


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