As the educators who are in our schools every day, we want to make sure the community understands the realities of how COVID-19 is impacting our students and education as a whole.
As leaders of Education Associations in Western Maine, we have dire concerns about our students and the future of public education in our state. Educators are burning out. Fast. Teachers are working long, unsustainable hours to provide the best services possible, given the situation and many are leaving the profession early. Our students are suffering from the lack of efficiency of learning in hybrid and remote systems, disconnection from their peers and teachers, and a host of social and emotional issues due to the pandemic. Support staff are deeply concerned they will be laid off if lockdowns return. Everything is uncertain and the stress in our schools is palpable.
As educators, we are asking for understanding and support to continue to do the best we can during unprecedented times, from our administrators and from the community.
The uncertainty of how long the current situation will last weighs heavily on all those in our schools, and the effects of these changes is taking a toll. To help our students succeed, the educators in Western Maine believe the following key items are needed from local and state leaders. Each of our districts is unique; some districts are handling these issues better than others. We feel, however, these eight points should be the standard for all Western Maine schools:
●More Time to Help our Students
We simply do not have enough hours in the day to perform the follow up our students need. Some districts have implemented a “fully remote day” as part of their hybrid model, this time is often consumed by mandatory meetings. Administrators need to provide staff with maximum time to plan, to provide students with feedback, and to communicate with our support staff; adding a few workshop days here and there is not enough.
●Remote-only Teachers for Remote Learning
In some districts the same teachers are often teaching in-person and remotely, making it more difficult to give students the one-on-one attention they need and deserve. When more staff are available to provide direct support to remote learners, students are more likely to succeed.
●Flexibility for Creativity
We are the experts in education. We need to be able to be selective and make good choices based on our students’ individual needs because this is not “business as usual.” Autonomy and respect are needed now more than ever.
●Removal of Testing Requirements.
Anything that does not directly provide instructional value to students and does not increase student learning or promote student safety should be set aside, for now, in favor of instruction that focuses on student success.
●Streamlining of Evaluation Requirements
Teachers need support now, not punitive discipline. We are in favor of a system that helps provide guided feedback to help improve hybrid teaching but not in favor of a discipline that uses an evaluation tool that was not intended for pandemic teaching and learning.
●Support Staff Job Security
Teachers cannot do their jobs without support staff, and their jobs should be guaranteed regardless of the learning model being used.
●Keep Students and Staff Safe
DOE’s safety requirements should be treated as an absolute minimum and districts should strive to keep students and staff safe as the winter months set in. Adequate PPE should be affirmatively provided to both students and staff. Adult sized masks don’t fit kid sized faces.
●Work with Us
Everyone is feeling stress right now, but the staff and students in districts where staff and administration worked closely together to develop reopening and distance learning plans and formal agreements about changes in working conditions are markedly more at ease right now. Educators know what is best for our kids—please don’t shut us out of the conversation.
Educators need to focus all our energy on what is most important: our students.
Our plates are full. We love what we do and we want nothing more than to provide high-quality instruction for every student, but we cannot do that without the proper support and respect from everyone involved- our superintendents, administrators and our community. To meet the needs of students and to keep our school communities vibrant, it is imperative that action is taken before it is too late.
Sincerely,
Lewiston Education Association, Lewiston
Auburn Education Association, Auburn
RSU 73 Education Association, Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls
Mt. Blue RSD Education Association, Chesterville, Farmington, Industry, New Sharon, New Vineyard,
Starks, Temple, Vienna, Weld, and Wilton
Tri-Town Education Association, Turner, Green, and Leeds
Telstar Education Association, Andover, Bethel, Gilead, Greenwood, Newry, and Woodstock
Dirigo Education Association, Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, and Peru
