The following letter to the editor was submitted by Andover resident Kathy Grant. The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Andover News. You can learn more about our policy on opinion and commentary on our Mission and Policies page.
School Committee incumbents have been leading the Andover Public Schools (APS) into a spiral of deterioration. Is this the experience we want to re-elect?
1. Contract negotiations have been a repeated failure. The teachers and instructional assistants (IAs) spend most of their time working without a contract. Since 2006, only one contract was completed on time. In the other instances teachers worked 2 years without a contract and in the fall of the third year the teachers resort to ‘work to rule’ which means only doing what is in the contract – nothing more. That’s 5 out of the last 6 contracts, and we are heading towards 6 out of 7.
Instead of the School Committee successfully negotiating a contract last summer, the teachers and IAs find themselves without a contract now. Are we on the way to work to rule in the fall of 2026? Has anything been learned?
2. Poor management in the last 3 years, the incumbents’ term, has resulted in a School Committee that is antagonistic to the school staff instead of valuing them. Relations between the School Committee and teachers and (IAs) unions hit an all-time low, such that the teachers and IAs went on strike to negotiate a fair contract. Where are any detailed plans to improve School Committee and union relations?
3. The citizens of Andover do not think that the School Committee has the students’ best interests at heart. At the last Annual Town Meeting, they proposed and voted to add to the school budget so that more teaching positions could be kept. The Town had to hold a Special Town Meeting to force their original budget through.
4. Every 5 years, AHS has to be accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Other entities also rate APS. The administration and school employees’ morale are rated low. Academics remain excellent, which mean teachers are doing their jobs well in a negative work environment. The School Committee has not taken action to improve themselves and the work culture within the schools.
5. This poor work environment is reflected in the fact Andover Public Schools can’t attract teachers as easily as they used to. Positions are unfilled when school starts. Some classrooms are not staffed with permanent teachers. For weeks, students are being taught by long term subs not necessarily versed in the material, while APS looks for subject qualified permanent teachers. IA positions are understaffed by 1/3 or more in some schools, such that the IAs have twice the work load. This leads to more turnover.
6. Since 2022, while these incumbents have been in office, 8 of 9 principals have left. Neighboring communities have not had such extreme turnover. At most, 3 principals were replaced in a school system, with most places only having one new principal. For example, North Andover has replaced 0 out of 7 in the last 3 years. Why does Andover only retain 1 principal, while many other places only lose 1? What is the effective plan to improve working conditions for principals? Why doesn’t the School Committee even acknowledge a problem?
7. Poor retention of AHS principals has been a theme for decades. Since 2009, AHS has had 7 or more principals, not counting interim principals. What is being done to solve the retention problem?
This is the track record of these School Committee incumbents, resulting in a negative impact of our schools. They do not acknowledge any need for changes, any mistakes to correct, and/or address continuing long term deterioration. All problems are claimed to be from the teachers and IAs unions. In their bubble world, they are doing a fantastic job. It’s time to pop that bubble, take responsibility for poor management and fix it. Vote for Chris Shepley and Jake Tamarkin!
Kathy Grant
Andover
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