HSE teachers felt disrespected by their superintendent. So parents threw them a party.

FISHERS — The signs Hamilton Southeastern Schools parents made that lined the wall of the Geist Christian Church gymnasium sent a clear message: Families love the teachers who serve them.

One sign read, “Our family moved back here because of you all – 12 years later…Best decision!”

The whole night, in fact, aimed to show teachers how much HSE families appreciate them, a few weeks after the new superintendent made public comments that some teachers said left them feeling disrespected.

At a June 26 school board meeting HSE superintendent Pat Mapes, who took the post in February, said "adult issues" in the district have been taking priority over student needs. The teachers union and the school district have been in disagreement over union practices and union representatives allege they have received "threatening and harassing" communications from district leadership.

In response, a group of parents led by Stephanie Hunt, president of Fishers PRIDE, came up with a plan to hold a community teacher appreciation party.

“After he was completely disrespectful towards our teachers and telling them they could leave the district, I was desperate to do something so that they knew we didn’t want them to leave,” said Hunt, a parent to four HSE students.

More than 100 teachers and over a dozen parents and children attended the gathering last Friday.

Carolyn Porzuczek, a fourth-grade teacher at HSE, said she’s never felt as defeated and unappreciated during her 20 years of teaching, as she did when she heard Mapes’ comments.

The party has inspired her to keep going.

“This is my community,” Porzuczek told IndyStar. “My kids went to these schools, and so to have this event has been a huge morale boost to remember why we're here, and to continue because our families really do love us and support us.”

What Mapes said to anger HSE teachers

Teachers and Mapes have been at odds soon after he took the position. The teachers’ union filed an unfair labor practice against the district in mid-June alleging that school district leaders were interfering with union practices and had created a hostile work environment.

Two weeks later at a board meeting, Mapes said teachers' job satisfaction should stem from their students' success and accused some teachers of putting their own interests ahead of those of their students.

“If we've employed people who do not want to serve students and put their own agenda in front of a mission to educate students, then those people should leave our district because we're here to serve students,” Mapes said during the meeting.

Read more about the complaint here:HSE teachers union alleges top district official created 'hostile work environment'

After the party, Mapes said in an emailed statement to IndyStar that his administration appreciates that the community is finding ways to share their support for HSE teachers. He added that since arriving in the district he has had many positive interactions with teachers and staff.

“While our interactions with teachers and staff have been overwhelmingly positive, we understand that large organizations like ours, will sometimes encounter internal challenges,” Mapes said. “We always stand ready to collaborate to address concerns and find meaningful solutions.”

HSE parents embraced the idea of a teacher appreciation party as one solution to low teacher morale.

In a little over two weeks dozens of HSE parent and community volunteers helped organize the party with free food, drinks and prizes.

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Hunt estimates that the food and prizes that were raffled off to teachers amounted to a cost of several thousands of dollars. HSE parents, local businesses and community members donated all the goods.

During the party, teachers received goodie bags filled with school supplies, dozens of Amazon gift cards were handed out and other gift baskets filled with food and drinks were raffled off.

Erin Green, an art teacher at an HSE elementary school, said Mapes’ comments frustrated her. She worries that the district only cares about test score outcomes, not what happens in the classroom.

“I don’t feel like we’re valued for what we do,” Green said. “We’re not there for the test scores. I’m an art teacher and I’m there to help the kids be creative and be excited about school, and so to hear that all they care about are test scores is very frustrating.”

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Green, who has worked in HSE her entire career of 23 years, said she feels like communication between teachers and the central office has been very poor and wishes that district leaders would be willing to solve issues at the table more readily.

"We want what’s best for kids so when there’s something we're concerned about, and we just want to talk it out with [administration], but now we feel a bit more shut down when we try to do that,” Green said.

Sarah Renfro, another HSE parent who helped organize the party, said she was moved to do so after hearing Mapes's comments. She wanted to provide a night of fun for the teachers before school starts again.

“I think that the teachers just need to know that they are loved and supported and that we will do all we can to have their back,” Renfro said.

Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter (X): @CarolineB_Indy.