Pressure Builds Over Teacher Transfers

The Board of Education’s plan to eliminate 53 teaching positions and reassign those teachers to vacant spots elsewhere in the district is prompting a storm of protest, culminating with a demonstration in front of Central Office planned for Monday afternoon.

The superintendent of schools, meanwhile, responded with a letter to parents explaining the decision.

The ​“Wear #RedForEd” rally against the cuts is planned for Monday at 4 p.m. outside school district headquarters on Meadow Street.

“Our New Haven Public Schools are reaching a crisis point, with still more cuts to teacher positions announced last week,” read an announcement for the rally issued by an organizing group, NHPS Advocates. We have seen where this leads in school districts around the country, and we will not let it happen here. New Haven will not stand by and watch our schools gutted of resources, our teachers treated inhumanely, and our kids left to suffer the fallout. The nature of our schools impacts our whole community, whether or not you have kids in public schools!”

Following is the letter from Superintendent of Schools Carol Birks to public-school families explaining the transfers; followed by a fuller statement about the transfers from NHPS Advocates. At the bottom is a letter form the teachers union president to members.

Birks’ Letter

Dear New Haven Public Schools Families:

I trust that you had an enjoyable weekend. The purpose of this letter is to reassure the students, families, faculty, staff, and the general public that although our revenue streams have declined, you have my relentless commitment to ensure that we work collaboratively with the Board of Education and all stakeholders to build on our past successes, and not compromise the academic programming and social emotional learning supports that we provide to our students.

Given the current fiscal realities of the State, City and District, we are faced with making critical decisions as to how we continue to fund our District’s Priority Areas and take New Haven Public Schools on the path of continuous improvement. Our primary focus is to make children and academic achievement our first priorities and to keep students at the center of their learning. We will empower all adults who have been entrusted with their care with the professional learning and technical support needed to increase students’ academic outcomes and support their social emotional learning needs.

As part of our budget mitigation efforts, Central Office leaders consulted with principals and identified 53 positions that could be reassigned without compromising our students’ rights to receiving a high quality education. On Thursday, May 30, 2019, 53 teachers were advised that teaching positions at their current school sites were being reduced due to enrollment numbers. These teachers were not informed that they were losing their jobs, but in fact that they will be offered opportunities to interview and or be placed in a role within our school District that is aligned to their teaching certifications. 

Below please find a few quick facts:

How many students will be in my child’s class?
Below please find a quick reference of the class size limits that are part of New Haven Public Schools’ contractual agreement with the New Haven Federation of Teachers (NHFT).

• Grades K – 2: 26 students per class
• Grades 3 – 12: 27 students per class
• Departmentalized teachers in grades 7 – 12: 125 students maximum
• Pre‑K: 10 to 1 ratio adult to children*
• Physical Education Classes: 40 students per teacher

*The 10 to one adult to student ratio is not per the NHFT contract but is based on federal guideline for Pre — K which New Haven Public School has always adhered to these guidelines.

Will administrators or other roles within the District be eliminated?
We are awaiting our final State funding allocations, reviewing our budget and working on mitigation efforts so additional eliminations may take place, but does not necessarily mean someone will lose their job.

Can teachers be reassigned from their current assignments?
Yes. The school District has the right to involuntary transfer teachers.

What was the process used to reduce teachers?
Central office leaders worked collaboratively with principals to review projected enrollment in schools for the 2019 – 2020 school year by grade and subject level to determine if staff could be reassigned to vacancies within the District.

Finally, as a District we will continue to work closely with the Board of Education to align our human capital and fiscal resources to positively impact students’ experiences while focusing on being fiscally responsible. You have my commitment to continue to propel our District forward focused on equity, collaboration and innovation.

Sincerely,
Carol D. Birks
Carol D. Birks, Ed.D.

NHPS Advocates’ Letter

The last fifteen months have been marked by plummeting staff morale, a culture of fear and retaliation, a parade of departures by district leaders, spending that prioritizes bureaucracy over children’s learning, an impenetrable budget, unanswered questions, and a teacher’s union that fails to stand up for our teachers and students. Some of these trends had their origin before Dr. Birks became Superintendent; under her tenure, they have reached a fever pitch. This pattern most recently culminated in Thursday’s announcement of 53 teacher positions cut from our children’s classrooms — leading, inevitably, to larger class sizes and/or fewer course offerings, less individualized attention for students, and an even more stressed staff. We have seen where this leads, in school districts around the country, and we will not let it happen here. New Haven will not stand by and watch our schools gutted of resources, our teachers treated inhumanely, and our kids left to suffer the fallout.

Children need stability and so often that stability comes from teachers. Yet district leadership has delivered the opposite. Last summer, it was the layoffs of teachers, counselors, and library media specialists. Then it was the dramatic reduction in educators serving our children by not filling over 100 vacated positions. And now, it includes the impending loss of an additional 53 teaching positions and the erosion of union protections. At the same time, district leadership continues to add layers of executive management and enter into agreements with expensive consultants, without securing additional funding for core operations.

Article VII Section 2 (b) of the 2017 – 19​New Haven Federation of Teachers contract​notes that ​“If teachers are to be transferred involuntarily, the Board will give priority to the instructional requirements of the school system and thereafter they will be transferred on the basis of juniority and qualifications.” Yet 53 teachers were selected by their principals without clearly communicated criteria or a transparent rationale, raising concerns about potential for retaliation and breach of contract. Principals could transfer a teacher who spoke up at a staff meeting to challenge their views or with whom there is a personal conflict. Unions exist to protect workers from precisely this kind of retaliation. When the NHFT fails our teachers, our kids suffer too.

Last week also brought the release of 399 pages of purchase orders that raise more questions than answers and reveal exorbitant spending in categories that contribute little to student learning and well-being. A casual glance reveals many small expenses that could have been better spent on student resources and large expenses that could surely be pared down. We understand that cuts must be made in order to resolve the deficit. Significant reductions should be made to non-student-facing expenses before touching our children’s classrooms.

Almost sixteen months ago, in February 2018, the New Haven Public School Advocates proposed​“Kids First” cost-cutting principles​. These principles value and prioritize ​“programs that support the education of children, implemented by educators in schools.” In August 2018, we presented specific​alternative budget cuts​that ​“eliminate duplication of services, de-prioritize services not essential to instruction, and, above all, prioritize direct support to children in their schools.”​Further suggestions​were offered in September of last year. We are not aware of the district implementing any of these recommendations, all of which shift cost-cutting away from classrooms and professionals who directly serve children. Due to the continued lack of transparency, we do not have enough information to recommend further cuts; and district leadership has failed to create a process for doing so.

This amounts to an emergency for our children, school district, and city.​We do not want New Haven to reach the breaking points of Los Angeles, Oakland, or Denver. But that is the road we are now on. When Dr. Birks arrived, she asked for time to earn our trust. That time has passed. We call on the Board of Education to take the following essential steps with urgency:

1. Reject the elimination of 53 more NHPS teaching positions​via involuntary transfers;
2. Fulfill the commitment to​establish a Deficit Review Committee​inclusive of all stakeholders, to examine all relevant records, establish the cause(s) of the deficit, and make immediate and long-term recommendations for its remediation​before​any teacher positions are eliminated;
3. Carry out a​complete forensic audit​of the Board of Education;
4. Release a​complete, detailed, site-based budget with no hidden line items​for the 2019 – 2020 fiscal year; and
5. Appoint​new​district leadership, beginning with a new Superintendent, who has a demonstrated track record​of placing student needs at the center of decision making.

These important steps would set a course for returning the district to financial stability. They would also begin the process of earning back the trust of our educators and re-establishing public trust in our school district. These are reasonable requests that the Board can initiate immediately, before more harm is inflicted on our community and the children we all serve.

Cicarella’s Letter