New hire will sub for Jones
January 11, 2019
With almost no concrete information provided by the administration about Daniel Bobo-Jones’ abrupt departure on the morning of the second day of winter quarter, speculation and concern have grown among the student body as the science department arranges a substitute.
Mr. Jones, a biology teacher, was no longer teaching at the Laboratory Schools effective Jan. 8, according to an email sent to the families of students in his classes.
Alec Wyers, a senior enrolled in the biomedical ethics elective that Mr. Jones began teaching Jan. 7, said the sudden news was disappointing. Alec said he was excited to be in the class, having had Mr. Jones for biology when he was a freshman.
Without a long-term substitute teacher yet in place, Alec said, various administrators have alternated filling in for Mr. Jones’ classes. Since the temporary substitutes cannot teach the class material, Alec said he and his peers have had long, silent study periods.
According to Alec and his classmate Risa Cohen, Noah Rachlin, the dean of teaching and learning, was among the administrators who filled in to hold discussions. Alec said Mr. Rachlin created a biomedical ethics curriculum at a previous school.
Dr. Daniel Calleri said that the science department has hired Dr. Marites Baris, who has a PhD from the University of Chicago in geophysics and is experienced in biology and paleontology. Dr. Calleri said he hopes that Dr. Baris will substitute all of Mr. Jones’ biology classes and electives for the rest of the year.
Alec said he was in the dark about the details of Mr. Jones’ termination — just like many of his peers.
“I’ve heard multiple different theories about why they think he left but no actual facts,” he said.
Risa said she was frustrated by Mr. Jones’ leaving without notice.
“It makes me pretty angry,” she said. “We still don’t have a teacher.” Only one class was held before Mr. Jones left.
“The class has been very different, obviously,” she said. “I mean, we literally don’t have a curriculum anymore.”
Leila Garfinkel, a freshman in Mr. Jones’ introductory biology course, said her class is in a similar situation.
“The administrators teaching our class seemed like they didn’t know what to do at all,” she said. “Next week, we will be cramming everything the other classes have been learning into four days.”
