The following letter to the editor was submitted by Andover School Committee members Emily DiCesaro and Sandis Wright. The views expressed are solely those of the authors 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.
A recent letter by Kathy Grant contained numerous errors. It is important that these factual inaccuracies are corrected, and we appreciate the opportunity to do so for the benefit of the community.
First, all six unions operating within the Andover Public Schools are working under current contracts which are not set to expire until the summer 2027. All collective bargaining agreements can be found here. We note that the most recent collective bargaining agreement with our Secretaries unit was ratified by the School Committee on December 12, 2024, and we are awaiting final review before posting. Ms. Grant’s allegation that Unit A (teaching/nursing/OT/PT) and Unit B (IA) units are without contracts is demonstrably false. Given these facts, Ms. Grant’s argument that the Committee should have been “successfully negotiating a contract last summer [2024]” is illogical.
Second, NEASC requires public high schools to undergo reaccreditation every ten years, not every 5 years as Ms. Grant states. Andover High School’s last NEASC site visit was in 2012. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed accreditation for most districts including Andover, and APS/AHS has been actively engaged in the NEASC reaccreditation process since 2022. We expect our site visit to occur later this year. Additionally, NEASC does not “rate” Andover High School as Ms. Grant suggests; rather, the school does an intensive self-study against a series of five standards, each with multiple “foundational elements”. A site visit by a NEASC committee follows to evaluate the school and the self-study, culminating in a NEASC report. We look forward to that site visit and learning from NEASC any opportunities for growth and improvement at Andover High School. (We are unclear which external entities rate APS based on employee morale or how and where that data is gathered.)
Third, Andover Public Schools has not had any issue attracting teachers in our time on the Committee, and there is no merit to the claim that IA positions are “understaffed by 1/3 or more”. Permanent substitutes are typically used when staff are on medical or parental leaves, both of which are benefits available to employees in their collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, when qualified long-term subject area substitutes are unavailable, program coordinators will typically teach until a teacher returns to ensure that all courses at the middle school or high school levels are covered by someone with subject matter expertise.
Fourth, Ms. Grant insinuates that the School Committee is somehow directly responsible for principal turnover. We agree that leadership turnover makes it challenging to make progress toward shared goals. However, it is untrue that Andover is worse off than other communities. Most districts in the Commonwealth have seen accelerated administrator turnover since the pandemic. An October article published by Andover News provided data demonstrating that Andover’s principal turnover rate is actually below state averages. While Ms. Grant points to North Andover as an ideal, it’s relevant that many other nearby districts, including Tewksbury, Wilmington, Reading,
Westford, Pentucket, and Woburn, are also experiencing turnover similar to Andover’s. We also assert that principal turnover is not necessarily a sign that something is nefarious or wrong. Retirements, promotions to more challenging district-level administrative positions, and professional advancement outside the district are positive evidence that our principals are making the most of their careers, and we celebrate their achievements. Principals who make personal decisions based on family needs or health issues are taking care of themselves in important ways that we empathize with and support.
Ms. Grant claims that “poor retention of AHS principals has been a theme for decades” and asks what is being done to “solve the retention problem?” While we are unable to comment on AHS principals who were hired or who left before our tenure began in 2022, in 2023 we wholeheartedly supported a national search for the next AHS principal. The district worked with a search firm and, with the partnership of students, parents, and APS staff, developed a profile of an ideal AHS principal. Among many other qualities, this profile emphasized that APS sought a highly experienced principal who “believes in stability in leadership” and “is committed to the school and community”. This approach identified many top-tier candidates, and we were thrilled to welcome Mr. Jimmy D’Andrea to our district last summer. By all accounts, most importantly from students and families, he has been a wonderful addition to the district.
Finally, at the Annual Town Meeting in April 2024, a resident proposed a floor amendment to the FY2025 school department budget to increase it by $1.875M. That amendment passed by 25 votes. No funding source was identified or voted on at that meeting, resulting in an unbalanced budget. Massachusetts law required a Special Town Meeting to resolve the imbalance prior to the Select Board setting the tax rate last fall. Two-thirds of the voters attending the June Special Town Meeting voted to reject applying free cash to the unbalanced budget, and 73% voted to support the original FY25 budget amended with additional Chapter 70 funds which had been announced by the state in May. The citizens of Andover supported the town’s fiscally responsible pathway to addressing the FY25 school budget at Special Town Meeting. We acknowledge that Ms. Grant is unhappy with the voters’ decision.
We hope that Ms. Grant’s errors are the result of an unintentional misunderstanding of current Andover Public Schools information or are based on outdated information. We are appreciative of the chance to correct the record.
Emily DiCesaro
Sandis Wright
Andover School Committee
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