New Bedford president calls on members to ‘stay strong’ in face of challenges
By Laura Barrett
M embers of the New Bedford Educators Association;have;ratified;an;agreement;that;paves;the;way;for;significant;changes
at;the;city’s;high;school,;but;many;continue;to
express;anger;that;the;superintendent;is;pursuing;a
plan;that;requires;half;of;the;staff;to;be;replaced.
“We asked our members to support the tentative
agreement;because;we;felt;our;bargaining;team;had
won;the;best;deal;possible;under;the;circumstances,”
said;NBEA;President;Lou;St.;John.;“Unfortunately,
those;circumstances;were;not;good.;I;believe;that
because;of;what;is;being;done;to;our;educators,;we
are;going;to;lose;many;of;our;excellent;teachers,;not
only;at;New;Bedford;High;School;but;across;our
system.
“Our;educators;should;not;be;used;as;scapegoats,”
St.;John;said.
State;law;requires;significant;intervention;at
NBHS;because;it;has;been;designated;a;Level;4
“underperforming”;school
for;failing;to;meet;school
improvement;targets.
Superintendent Pia Durkin
chose the most drastic option
by;selecting;a;model;under
which;half;of;the;staff;—
teachers,;administrators
and education support
professionals;alike;—;must
be;replaced.;No;other;district
has chosen this kind of
“turnaround”;model;when;a;less;punitive;option;has
been;permitted.
Once;the;superintendent;chose;the;“turnaround”
approach,;the;district;and;the;NBEA;had;just;30;days
to;bargain;about;the;impact;of;the;plan.;A;tentative
agreement;reached;on;Jan.;15;was;ratified;by;the
NBHS;educators;on;Jan.;29.;Even;before;bargaining,
the;superintendent;agreed;that;last;year’s;layoffs
and;this;year’s;retirements;can;count;toward;the;50
percent.
Features;of;the;agreement;include:
n High;school;teachers;without;Professional
Teacher Status must be non-renewed before any
licensed;teachers;in;good;standing;who;have;PTS;are
laid;off.
n A;high;school;teacher;with;PTS;who;is;not
rehired can bump a non-PTS teacher in another
school,;but;cannot;bump;another;teacher;with;PTS.
n High;school;teachers;will;work;42;more
minutes;per;day;for;$5,885;more;a;year;and;will
be;compensated;at;their;contractual;rate;for;any
additional;work;that;is;required.
As MTA Today;went;to;press,;it;remained
unclear;how;many;of;the;190;high;school;teachers
would;be;laid;off;as;a;result;of;the;turnaround
plan;since;voluntary;transfers,;bumping;rights;and
retirements;still;must;be;considered.;But;there;is;no
doubt;that;some;educators;with;positive;evaluations
will;lose;their;jobs.
Hundreds;of;educators,;retired;teachers,;union
activists;and;community;supporters;held;a;rally
sponsored by the NBEA outside New Bedford City
Hall;on;Jan.;17.;They;chanted,;cheered;and;held
signs;saying;“Support;New;Bedford;Educators”;and
carrying;like-minded;messages.
St.;John;told;the;crowd,;“We;suggest;that;instead
of;threatening;our;teachers;with;termination,;Dr.
Durkin,;the;mayor;and;the;school;committee;should
be;trying;to;figure;out;how;to;improve;working
conditions and make this the kind of district where
MTA;Vice;President;Tim;Sullivan;told;the
educators;that;“the;MTA;is;fully;behind;you.”
“The;turnaround;model;is;a;great;way;to;build
resentment;but;a;terrible;way;to;build;a;team,”;he
said.
As;a;Brockton;teacher,;Sullivan;said,;he
understands;the;challenges;of;educating;students;in
an;urban;district.
“We;give;this;job;our;hearts;and;our;souls;—
and;a;lot;of;our;evenings;and;weekends,;too,”;he
said.;“We;make;a;difference;in;our;students’;lives.”
A;number;of;speakers;cited;the;lack;of;stability
in;the;central;office;as;a;contributing;factor;in;the
district’s;problems.;New;Bedford;has;had;five
superintendents;over;the;past;six;years.
S;t.;John,;an;NBHS;graduate,;was;among;those;who praised the hard work of New Bedford educators.
“Last;year;my;daughter,;Kayla,;graduated;from
New;Bedford;High;School,;and;my;son,;Matthew,;is
in;his;sophomore;year;at;New;Bedford;High;School.
I;love;my;children,;so;I;can;assure;you;I;wouldn’t
be;sending;them;to;New;Bedford;High;School;if;I
didn’t;think;they;would;get;a;quality;education;from
competent;teachers;there.”
He;urged;members;of;the;NBEA;to;“stay;strong”
despite;the;challenges;they;face.
Lou St. John
‘I believe that because
of what is being done to
our educators, we are
going to lose many of our
excellent teachers, not only
at New Bedford High School
but across our system.’
— NBEA President Lou St. John
Photos by Laura Barrett
A large crowd of educators and supporters attended the rally at New Bedford City Hall.
