The union representing Andover teachers “inappropriately” shared news that Andover High School Principal Caitlin Brown resigned just four weeks before schools reopened, according to Andover Public Schools.
“It is unfortunate the Andover Education Association leadership shared Ms. Brown’s news before she was able to share it first with AHS staff and families,” spokesperson Nicole Keiser said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
The Andover Education Association announced Brown’s departure in a Facebook post Wednesday morning and framed it as part of an ongoing “administrative leadership crisis” under Superintendent Magda Party, who started at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. Administrators have also left High Plain, Bancroft, and South Elementary School in the past two years.
Bad Timing For APS
With schools opening on Aug. 30, the district will begin a principal search “as soon as possible,” Keiser said.
Brown, who was not immediately available for comment Wednesday, accepted a position with another school district. Neither the union nor the district’s statement said where she was going.
“I am able to confirm that, this morning, Principal Brown notified Dr. Parvey of her intention to resign as principal of Andover High School,” Keiser said. “Dr. Parvey fully supports Ms. Brown’s decision to put her family first in achieving the best work-life balance possible.”
Brown finished her third year as principal in June after four years as an assistant principal and served on the Andover High School Building Committee. Before that, she taught social studies in Foxborough Public Schools, where she was also the athletic director and the varsity soccer coach.
Brown lives in Andover and has two school-age daughters. In April, she told Andover News she thought she wanted to be a lawyer, but after working as a substitute teacher in Foxborough, she found her calling and ended up in the district for 12 years.
“I became a teacher because I love kids,” she said. “And I still love these kids.”
Contract Negotiations Continue
The union and the district are locked in contract negotiations for teachers and instructional assistants. In its statement, AEA said Parvey has added $1 million to the district’s budget to pay for non-student facing administrators since starting in 2021-22 — a claim the district disputes.
“It is clear that school administrators and educators are facing unprecedented stress,” AEA President Matt Bach said. “Over the past few years, our district has drastically changed its educational philosophy. The district has prioritized a staffing model that has increased the amount of non-student-facing staff; meanwhile, educators and school management struggle to meet the needs of our students as class sizes grow and there are fewer specialized staff in our schools.”
Keiser said AEA’s statement contained “significant inaccuracies,” including its references to class size, staffing, and budget data, and noted the Andover School Committee’s multi-year effort to cut student fees.
“In addition to inappropriately sharing the news about Ms. Brown, the AEA’s statement contains significant inaccuracies,” Keiser said. “The District feels it would be unproductive to debunk each individual falsehood, but notes that average class sizes in the District have not increased, and the District has not added $1 million to its budget through increases in administrative staff.”
APS Statement On AHS Principal Caitlin Brown’s Resignation
I am able to confirm that this morning, Principal Brown notified Dr. Parvey of her intention to resign as principal of Andover High School. Dr. Parvey fully supports Ms. Brown’s decision to put her family first to achieve the best work-life balance possible. In the best interests of students, the District will begin a search for a principal as soon as possible.
It is unfortunate the Andover Education Association leadership shared Ms. Brown’s news before she was able to share it first with AHS staff and families.
In addition to inappropriately sharing the news about Ms. Brown, the AEA’s statement contains significant inaccuracies. The District feels it would be unproductive to debunk each individual falsehood, but notes that average class sizes in the District have not increased and the District has not added $1 million to its budget through increases in administrative staff.
With the support of the School Committee, since Dr. Parvey joined the District her work has been designed to address areas within APS that need improvement and were identified during Dr. Parvey’s entry plan by staff, parents, families, the community and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Andover Public Schools Spokesperson Nicole Kieser
File photo.