Since the late 1960s, Mike McCoy has performed with the legendary American folk group The Brothers Four, known for hits such as “Greenfields,” “Try to Remember” and “The Green Leaves of Summer.”

McCoy has also spent more than 30 years as a teacher in the Lake Washington School District (LWSD), including 16 years at Wilder Elementary — which has a Woodinville address, but serves many students from Redmond.

The upcoming 2008-09 academic year was expected to be McCoy’s last, but he might opt for early retirement because the LWSD has denied his request for a three-week, unpaid leave of absence to tour with The Brothers Four in the fall.

A Wilder parent named Julia Hilbun has led a movement to petition the school district and overturn what she called an “unjust decision” by Deputy Superintendent Janene Fogard.

Hilbun wrote to the Redmond Reporter, “Mike has requested, and been granted, these leaves in the past to tour with his band. Being a part of the Brothers Four gives Mike a second career to continue after his retirement.”

Twenty-five testimonials from current and former Wilder parents and students were forwarded to the Reporter, praising McCoy’s excellence as a teacher and expressing wishes that he would be able to take the leave of absence and stay on at Wilder for another school year.

In a phone interview in June, Fogard told us that she had invited McCoy to meet with her, but she didn’t know, at that point, whether he intends to return to Wilder this fall.

According to Kathryn Reith, communications director for LWSD, Fogard and Mc Coy met on Wednesday, July 2, but there has been no resolution of the matter.

We asked Fogard why the district denied his most recent request for an unpaid leave, if in fact, he’s been allowed to take such leaves for the same reason in the past.

Fogard responded, “Since this is a personnel matter, I don’t want to speak directly to his individual case, but from a policy perspective, it’s something we’ve looked at. We believe that when a child has his own teacher, it is the best situation. They know them best.”

“There have been some cases in the past where we’ve had to look at, ‘Is this really in the best interest of students?’ We need to re-look at policies which encourage (teachers) to take discretionary time off at another time, to plan around those precious 180 days when we have kids,”

she added, referring to the mandatory 180 days of attendance which constitute a school year.

Fogard continued, “Illnesses are things that can’t be prevented, which differ from vacations or other opportunities.”

We asked if she worried that bending the rules for one teacher would cause others to come forward with similar requests during the school year.

She replied, “I have to have a fair and equitable policy. Unless there’s a once-in-a-lifetime, extraordinary situation — a son being inducted into the Hall of Fame, a grandmother’s 100th birthday, a twin’s wedding — which usually involve a day or two or a long weekend, not an extended period of time.”

After reading through letters from McCoy’s boosters, Fogard concluded, “People have been very supportive. He’s obviously a beloved member of the community.”

Letter writers gave us permission to publish excerpts with their names. Just a sampling of remarks about McCoy have included the following:

• “During this school year, Mike had the opportunity to tour with The Brothers Four and was out of the classroom for some time. I can tell you that his absence did not have a negative effect on the classroom or students. Mike had prepared the students and families ahead of time, had lined up a top notch substitute … and had meticulously pre-planned classroom learning before he left. … (He) brings so much diversity to the classroom and school. There are very few strong male teachers and role models for our students and I would hate to think LWSD would throw this all away for three weeks of unpaid leave.” — Julia Hilbun

• “I recognize that you are struggling with jeopardizing equitable treatment of all teachers by simply grandfathering him for another year but I implore you to look at Mike’s case as unique and to make an exception to this rule based on his previous years’ grants for leave and for his exemplary background in elementary education. Mike is not just a teacher but a nucleus to the teacher community at Wilder. His presence and energy is tangible and this community will suffer from this shocking decision.” — Stacy McCannon

• “The one thing that has been constant and has, in my opinion, made Wilder such a wonderful place to keep coming back to is the core of dedicated teachers who have also been here since the beginning. They are the heart and soul of Wilder and Mr. McCoy is one of the best. … While I understand that you are trying to establish some consistency at this point in granting such leaves, I believe that exceptions sometimes have to be made for exceptional people. …To think that his amazing musical talent that has enriched and comforted the lives of so many students at Wilder over the years is the reason he is forced to leave us early is heartbreaking.” — Donna Burnstead

• “Mike is not just another teacher in the district. Simply said, he is a fabulous, dedicated and loyal educator. …Please reconsider your decision. Rules never fit any situation.” — Janet Friedberg

• “I would rather my child have one exceptional teacher for 3/4 of a school year than an average or below average teacher all school year. … Our schools are not cookie cutters and our teachers are not all the same. A teacher who has fostered a fun, unique way of getting children to love to learn should be appreciated and rewarded, not forced to choose between the two things he loves, teaching children and music.” — Cathi Porter

After being contacted several times, McCoy declined to comment on the issue.