Teacher Who Served Pancakes Won't Be Fired

Middle school teacher Kyle Byler thought the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, school board was going to fire him at a meeting Tuesday night because he served students pancakes during state testing. But that was before his story got nationwide attention. The district now says the 8th-grade teacher social studies teacher, who was suspended without pay on April 10 after an assistant principal found him making whole-grain pancakes on an electric griddle, has been cleared to return to work Thursday, Lancaster Online reports. School District of Lancaster spokeswoman Kelly Burkholder says "dismissal action" was never on the agenda Tuesday and no further action will be taken because "the personnel matter has been resolved with the employee, who is scheduled to return to work."

Byler, described by parents as a great teacher and "the 8th-grade dad," says he was told he would be terminated for causing a distraction during the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment testing. Some 100 supporters—including parents and students holding "Bring Back Byler" signs—turned up at Tuesday's meeting to support the Hand Middle School teacher. Burkholder says that if Byler had asked permission to make pancakes during the tests, he would have been turned down, though union spokesman Jason Molloy says there is no rule against serving food during the tests and it is common for the school to offer snacks. The school says the state Department of Education is looking into the incident, Fox 43 reports. (More teacher stories.)