MCS Teachers, staff attrition because of lack of respect, low pay, and more
Manchester High School
Since the beginning of the fall semester in August 2021, the Manchester Community Schools district has had at least four teachers and numerous other staff members leave the district for a variety of reasons.
Most recently, on Dec. 10, the high school art teacher Debra Groth resigned abruptly, citing, “the current climate of Covid, non-compliance with mask mandates, parent complaints, and some students’ disrespectful attitudes.”
For many teachers and staff, Groth’s reasons for her resignation are all too familiar. Leslie Rollins, the MEA president at Manchester, said that teachers’ frustrations had reached a peak just before winter break.”Most of them simply don’t feel supported,” she explained. “Parental complaints have escalated this fall and instead of letting us teach, the administration has appeased these parents and taken the complaints back to staff to ‘investigate,’ which makes teachers feel like they aren’t respected or trusted to do their job.”
Rollins added that she is aware of several more teachers and staff members who are currently and actively seeking new job opportunities; some of whom are already in the interview process and others who plan to leave at the end of the school year.
Teacher Jared Throneberry, who is in his 26th year teaching in Manchester, said that (the school) has lost at least four teachers since the beginning of the school year, “and it will probably be five before too long. We have also lost both of our maintenance employees in recent months, as well as one of our administrative employees.”
Throneberry also knows of several other employees actively looking for other employment. “The two reasons employees are leaving are lack of professional respect and/or higher pay. I have never seen this many employees leave, or consider leaving before the end of the school year. It’s most disheartening to see our district slowly disintegrating in front of our very eyes. Shouldn’t this be something our administrators and our Board be addressing immediately?”
If it seems that all of this has been said before, it has. The teachers keep repeating their message, in the hopes something will change. But, as yet, it has not.
Board of Education President Ryan Novess, when asked how the board was responding to the attrition of staff, responded that he had just recently been made aware of the concerns of teachers. “I was told, as the district recessed for winter break, that a hard reset that was to occur at the beginning of November has not happened in (their) eyes, and has in fact worsened on some levels. I’m hearing there continues to be a lack of respect towards teachers/staff and when this is reported to the administration for disciplinary action, none is taken or simply only a warning is provided.”
The lack of disciplinary support is creating an environment where there are no repercussions, so the level of disrespect continues to repeat itself. Not only has the issue progressed far beyond the question of wearing or not wearing masks in classrooms, but an overall atmosphere of disrespect is pervading the high school, including trashing restrooms and not taking responsibility for throwing away trash after lunch. Maintenance staff has strained to carry on, and last week, the district’s maintenance and grounds director, Bill O’Brien, announced his resignation.
One teacher, who wished to remain anonymous said, “In a time where our leadership should be compassionate and caring, we are still getting little relief in terms of follow through on disciplinary write-ups, mostly regarding mask enforcement. A ‘reset’ at the beginning of November was supposed to show students that we would actually enforce the mandates with consequences. One teacher has written up the same student SEVEN times and still there are no consequences. If we are supposed to have the support of our administrators, start by backing us up when we need your support, instead of having volleyball games and Karaoke.”
“A lot of little things are adding up, placing a collective stress on our high school staff across the board and creating a sense of discouragement they have not previously felt in their professional careers,” Novess said. “I have placed faith in Dr. Bezeau and the administrators that when school resumes after winter break they will put their best foot forward to support and address the continued issues teachers and staff face. With the collective effort from admin, support staff, teachers and board members, I remain optimistic there will be a culture change back to that of mutual respect.”
Superintendent Brad Bezeau acknowledged that several staff members and teachers have moved on to different opportunities. “We want to continue to take the steps that will help retain and encourage our valued staff to stay with us during these challenging and difficult times,” he said. “In addition to increasing our Guest Teacher pay rates for daily and long-term substitute teachers, we have also begun implementing extra trip stipends for our transportation department members as they sign up for the extra-curricular and athletic trips for our students. These are small changes, but ones that we’ll have to continue to consider as we remain competitive with our neighboring and county-wide school districts.”
Bezeau said while the district hasn’t been able to fill every opening, “we have had tremendous fortune in replacing several key positions within the district during these challenging times, including our Technology Director, our Business Office Manager, the addition of a new section of Kindergarten, and several other support staff positions.” He added that the district will continue to work to search for and secure highly qualified candidates for these hiring and retention processes.
He added, “It’s important to note that job retention is at an epidemic level in our county and throughout the country. In working with fellow county superintendents, other districts are sharing their struggles in this area as well. One district currently has 37 open positions that they have not been able to fill, with two open teaching positions. Another district is still looking for 22 teachers and up to 30 paraeducators, while another district is short five paraeducators, two high school teachers, and two elementary teachers. The current situation is not unique to Manchester, and is really the cumulative effect of years and years of students shying away from entering the field of education. The predicted teacher shortage is no longer predicted. It is here, and it is real.”
A sub shortage, in combination with the teacher shortage, is also increasing the pressure on the remaining teachers. A teacher who did not wish to be identified said, “One frustration has to do with the constant subbing requests from administration. Are administrators really trying to guilt us into doing more work when many of our staff are barely holding it together as it is? No teacher should feel obligated to sub on their prep if they choose not to. One teacher who has had several absences due to documented medical reasons received a response from HR. This teacher was told, ‘Due to the extreme shortage of substitute teachers, any absence that goes unfilled is a burden on your fellow teachers, as well as administrators. Anything that we can do to help lessen the burden will be greatly appreciated.’ We earned those (sick) days and as long as the contract is followed, no one should be shamed into subbing, or coming in while ill.”
In response to the sub shortage Bezeau stated, “There has also been movement in requirements to become a guest teacher in addressing the substitute teacher shortage.” He continued on the teacher shortage, “In continuing to examine ways in which to address this shortage, our county-wide group is working with the Washtenaw Intermediate School District and Eastern Michigan University in a program that fosters movement from the paraeducator group of employees to becoming classroom teachers.”
However, paraprofessionals are on the list of employees who have already left or are considering leaving the district.
The attrition among staff, both teaching and non-teaching, is reaching critical levels in Manchester. What is the solution? Is it discussion groups with other school districts? Is it promoting additional respectful dialogue between administration and staff? Is it standing behind teachers against a few in the community who are trying to undermine the school district? Is it treating people with respect for the job they are trying to do?
Bezeau said in an email, “There is no doubt that there has been divisiveness in our community during the global pandemic, but it will be imperative that all of us continue to work together in addressing these concerns and in recruiting and maintaining high quality candidates as our district continues to take the next steps in achieving a high quality education for our students. They certainly deserve it!”
To which a teacher responded, “You’re losing teachers and staff left and right and then you treat them badly. We are never told we are appreciated or respected. Why would you do this to teachers who have already been through so much? Our students are good kids. They do deserve better.
“Just let us teach your kids. Please.”
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