New Haven Clarifies Teacher Reassignments

NEW HAVEN, CT — New Haven Public Schools sent out a letter to families to clarify how teachers are reassigned.

Below is the full letter:

Dear New Haven Public Schools Families:

I trust that you had an enjoyable weekend. The purpose of this letter is to reassure the students, families, faculty, staff, and the general public that although our revenue streams have declined, you have my relentless commitment to ensure that we work collaboratively with the Board of Education and all stakeholders to build on our past successes, and not compromise the academic programming and social emotional learning supports that we provide to our students.

Given the current fiscal realities of the State, City and District, we are faced with making critical decisions as to how we continue to fund our District’s Priority Areas and take New Haven Public Schools on the path of continuous improvement. Our primary focus is to make children and academic achievement our first priorities and to keep students at the center of their learning. We will empower all adults who have been entrusted with their care with the professional learning and technical support needed to increase students’ academic outcomes and support their social emotional learning needs.

As part of our budget mitigation efforts, Central Office leaders consulted with principals and identified 53 positions that could be reassigned without compromising our students’ rights to receiving a high quality education. On Thursday, May 30, 2019, 53 teachers were advised that teaching positions at their current school sites were being reduced due to enrollment numbers. These teachers were not informed that they were losing their jobs, but in fact that they will be offered opportunities to interview and or be placed in a role within our school District that is aligned to their teaching certifications.

Below please find a few quick facts:

How many students will be in my child’s class?
Below please find a quick reference of the class size limits that are part of New Haven Public Schools’ contractual agreement with the New Haven Federation of Teachers (NHFT).

• Grades K – 2
  • 26 students per class
• Grades 3-12
  • 27 students per class
• Departmentalized teachers in grades 7-12
  • 125 students maximum
• Pre-K
  • 10 to 1 ratio adult to children*
• Physical Education Classes
  • 40 students per teacher

*The 10 to one adult to student ratio is not per the NHFT contract but is based on federal guideline for Pre - K which New Haven Public School has always adhered to these guidelines.

Will administrators or other roles within the District be eliminated?
We are awaiting our final State funding allocations, reviewing our budget and working on mitigation efforts so additional eliminations may take place, but does not necessarily mean someone will lose their job.

Can teachers be reassigned from their current assignments?
Yes. The school District has the right to involuntary transfer teachers.

What was the process used to reduce teachers?
Central office leaders worked collaboratively with principals to review projected enrollment in schools for the 2019-2020 school year by grade and subject level to determine if staff could be reassigned to vacancies within the District.

Finally, as a District we will continue to work closely with the Board of Education to align our human capital and fiscal resources to positively impact students’ experiences while focusing on being fiscally responsible. You have my commitment to continue to propel our District forward focused on equity, collaboration and innovation.

Sincerely,
Carol D. Birks
Carol D. Birks, Ed.D.