Newton Schools Today

The 2023-4 school year began this week, and there were 74 staff vacancies in the Newton Public School system and no applicants. Oak Hill School had 3 resignations last week alone, and Bigelow Middle School lost 10 teachers last year.

In the past, teachers were willing to accept a longer commute to Newton because of higher salaries and better work culture. That is no longer the case because:

1) Teachers feel disrespected by the administration.

2) Teachers are able to earn more money working closer to home.

3). When contacted, former Newton teachers report that they only do one job in their new positions. Because Newton has suffered years of silent staff shrinkage (people retired and were not replaced), those who remain have had to assume much more responsibility. This can result in one person doing the work of 1.5 to 2 people.

In the midst of a national teacher shortage, the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) and the Newton School Committee have been bargaining for the past 10 months to reach a fair and equitable agreement. NTA is objecting to the School Committee’s offer of a 1.5 - 2% COLA (Cost-of-Living Adjustment) each year for 3 years. This is significantly less than the COLA comparable districts offer.

If NTA were offered a 1% increase in COLA from what they are currently being offered, it would bring them in line with their peer districts.

The School Committee has claimed that even a 0% COLA in the new contract would leave the city in a deficit. At the same time, it has hired attorney Liz Valerio as an outside counsel to represent its interests. In FY 2023, the Town of Andover spent $430,000 on her services.

While normally, the use of one-time funds for salaries would not be recommended as sound business practice; when the schools are on a downward trajectory, as reflected in public ratings and teacher and staff shortages, it is critical to do everything we can to alleviate the current distress and prevent it from accelerating.

There was money in the override that was earmarked for the Newton Public Schools (NPS) operational budget. Because the override failed, there was a budget shortfall for NPS. Now that a large amount of “Free Cash” has become available, why isn’t it being used to fill the NPS budget gap, pause the current disinvestment in human capital, and allow the new superintendent time to assess the situation and set her priorities?

For years, Newton was said to have a 94% teacher retention rate. Unfortunately, there is now serious doubt as to how these numbers were collected and what they actually mean.

Lastly, despite comments to the contrary by the School Committee, the NTA never threatened any work stoppage that might cause the start of school to be delayed. Instead, they will continue to advocate for a fair contract as the law permits, including through legal “work to rule,” which states that educators do only what the contract requires them to do.