Some Andover Public Schools teachers are expected to teach classes in two subject areas when schools reopen for the 2025-26 academic year in August.
Massachusetts regulations allow educators to spend up to 20 percent of their time teaching outside the subject area for which they are licensed, and APS has called on teachers to double up in the past. But the practice is getting renewed attention following a lengthy discussion on Andover Cares about our Schools and Town, a Facebook group where people discuss local issues.
“The concept of teachers teaching two subjects on the half-teams with various certifications has taken place at APS for many years, particularly at Wood Hill Middle School,” APS spokesperson Nicole Kieser said.
APS was able to close a budget deficit without layoffs this year by not filling positions of teachers that retired or left the district. Still, some parents in the discussion worried about larger class sizes and instructors who were not fully versed in the subject matter they are teaching.
“Student learning conditions are tied to teacher working conditions,” said Elizabeth Tyrell, a math teacher at Doherty Middle School who also serves as vice president of the Andover Education Association. “Teachers who are teaching in two different subjects are going to be expected to prep for two different curriculums in the same amount of time it takes to prep for one curriculum.”
The Andover School Committee has set policies limiting class size. Kieser said no final decisions have been made on teacher assignments, as principals set schedules and the district adjusts staffing needs throughout the summer based on enrollment shifts.
“This practice does happen annually in the district as we review the enrollment of our students, which allows us to ensure the educational needs of our students are being met and uphold our fiscal responsibility to the community,” Kieser said. “All middle school teachers continue to be given support to ensure strong instruction.”
“Smaller class sizes and valuing educator expertise should be prioritized by decision makers in the Andover Public Schools,” Tyrell said. “Towns that invest in education in all ways are going to see a return on that investment in the form of higher quality schools.”