NEW: Battle Lines Drawn in Claremont Academy Dispute

Thursday, May 03, 2012

Walter Bird Jr., GoLocalWorcester Reporter

School Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone needs to “roll back the clock” and reconsider her decision to force the teachers at Claremont Academy to reapply for their jobs.

That was the message Massachusetts Teachers Association President Paul Toner sent to GoLocalWorcester. The Education Association of Worcester (EAW) teachers’ union earlier that day announced it had called off negotiations with Boone over a possible resolution to an issue that has dogged her ever since she delivered a letter to the 40 or so teachers at Claremont Academy last month informing them they had to reapply for their jobs. While no one was being fired, many of them might end up being placed elsewhere in the district.

In addition to calling off negotiations, the EAW has filed a “prohibited practices” – or unfair labor – charge contending that the district has no legal authority for its actions.

“This is not the way to do business in Worcester or any other place in Massachusetts,” said EAW President Leonard Zalauskas, “This sets back labor-management relations tremendously.”

Boone could not be reached for comment Wednesday and neither Chief Academic Officer Dr. Jeffrey Mulqueen nor Human Resources Director Stacey DeBoise Luster returned messages seeking comment.

Protest planned

It set the stage for a protest outside City Hall Thursday night at 6 p.m., about a week after Zalauskas had called off a scheduled picket as a “token of good will.” That gesture resulted from a meeting last week between Boone, Zalauskas, Toner and Massachusetts Secretary of Education Paul Reville.

Any good feelings that arose in that meeting, however, appear to have faded, with Zalauskas saying, “We’ve declared an impasse. There’s just no more to talk about.”

According to Zalauskas, Boone refused to back off her insistence that teachers at Claremont reapply for their jobs before returning this fall. The superintendent did offer one concession, saying she would guarantee 25 percent of the teachers could return to Claremont. The others would be placed throughout the school system. Zalauskas said teachers wanted the opportunity to listen to newly-hired Claremont Principal Ricci Hall, the current principal at nearby University Park Campus School, and learn about his future plans for the school. After that, he said, they would decide whether to “opt in or out. The schools have refused that.”

Plan was needed

There was obvious dejection in Zalauskas’s voice as he talked on Wednesday, but his tone grew angrier the more he talked.

“You would think you’d have a well thought out plan,” he said. “You don’t disrupt a school and its students, especially during MCAS.”

Teachers picket

The controversy erupted last month, after the School Committee voted, 5-2, to authorize Boone to conduct “impact bargaining” with the teachers at Claremont. Boone then delivered a letter to teachers at the school, which has about 400 students, in which they were told they had to reapply for their jobs and that some of them might be displaced to other schools within the district.

There was immediate criticism and a groundswell of opposition, including a picket that was held out in front of Boone’s office at the Durkin Administration Building. More than 100 students and teachers turned out that day, marching boldly and defiantly up and down the sidewalk, carrying signs and shouting out slogans.

Late last month, Boone held a meeting at Claremont during which she attempted to explain the decision to ask teachers to reapply. The school department was merely trying to help the Level 3 school and its students reach higher performance levels. While about 50 people showed up, only six were parents. One was a student at the school.

Then came the meeting with Boone and Reville, which caught many School Committee members by surprise. A protest that had been scheduled for the following day was cancelled as a result, with Zalauskas saying it was a good will gesture and that progress had been made.

Talks break off

By Wednesday, all that had changed. In a press release the EAW said, “Boone’s pledge that teachers displaced by this action will be moved to other schools in Worcester doesn’t address the concern that teachers at the Claremont are committed to their students and to one another and believe it is bad policy to make such sweeping changes.”

The EAW also said Boone’s decision “comes just days after the release of a report commissioned by the state found there is no hard evidence that replacing half the teaching staff makes a significant difference in student achievement.”

Teachers at Claremont Academy also issued a statement, which said in part, “The faculty at Claremont Academy remains committed to supporting the academic, social and civic development of our students. As one of 22 Level 3 schools in the district we continue to work diligently to implement our school-wide focus on high standards for both ourselves and our students so that we do not fall under federal Level 4 mandates. We have always had profound respect for the privilege of educating the students at Claremont Academy and we will not waiver from our promise to the Main South community.”

‘Back to the table’

Toner, who like Zalauskas believed progress had been made at last week’s meeting, said, “I’m very sorry to hear the school department and the EAW are at an impasse. Hopefully, both parties can back to the table.”

Toner signaled his strong support of the teachers and their union, saying, “The teachers haven’t been given the opportunity to show they can bring change to the school. The superintendent has a new idea. That’s fine. However, she’s making the assumption that the current staff can’t live up to those expectations. The superintendent needs to roll back the clock a bit. There needs to be some give and take.”

Asked whether he felt Boone was making a mistake in her approach to the issue, Toner said, “It’s unfortunate that an announcement (that teachers must reapply for their jobs) was made before any real discussion was held about the new vision for this school.”

No time to quit

While talks have shut down for the moment, all hope may not be lost. Mayor and School Committee member Joseph Petty said work can still be done to address the issue and resolve problems.

“We’ll see what happens in the next couple weeks,” Petty told GoLocalWorcester. “From past experience, as long as you don’t give up and keep trying to talk you’ll come up with a resolution.”

The mayor said he supported the superintendent’s attempts to improve overall academic performance at Claremont Academy, saying, “I believe this is the right thing to do.”

At the same time, he expressed disappointment at the latest developments, saying: “It’s unfortunate that talks have broken down. This is about the kids in our schools. It’s not about the teaching being done. It’s about improving our kids and their education.”

The entire situation, Petty acknowledged, could have, and perhaps should have, been handled differently.

“The communication between the administration and the schools could have been better,” he said.