January 16, 2024

An open letter to Winchester Public School Elementary & Middle School Teachers from concerned parents.

The recent Boston Globe article helped shed light on significant leadership and equity gaps in Winchester’s elementary schools. But what the story left out is your incredible efforts to address these gaps, even with the limited resources and professional development made available to you. The article also did not explore how asking you to define your own curriculum content is outside of your contractual obligations.

Many teachers are making the necessary shifts on their own, but we believe a more comprehensive systematic change is required. With that said, we want to make it clear that we support teachers and are grateful for your commitment to our children. 

While we may not always see eye to eye on how best to meet their needs, we know we share the same goal of helping all students succeed. We believe that the leadership and equity issues can be improved, and we support you in getting fair pay and adequate support so that you can be the best at your profession. 

The responsibility of filling in gaps due to a lack of cohesive curriculum in literacy instruction, including both foundational and knowledge-building skills, should not fall on you. According to the agreement between the Winchester School Committee and the Winchester Education Association, 2022-2025 (The Union’s contract), the responsibility for determining educational policy and curriculum content rests with the Winchester School Committee (Article 25B). Your contract also states that any additional curriculum work completed by teachers should be paid at the rate of $45 per hour. It is our perspective that you are being asked to do work that is beyond your responsibility. We think this is unfair. 

You deserve access to high-quality, evidence-based instructional materials, professional development, and appropriate compensation for additional work. 

We stand with you and are ready to support you however we can.