South School Staff Asked Andover Superintendent For New Principal

ANDOVER, MA — South Elementary School staff members sent a letter to Superintendent Sheldon Berman in January, asking for a new principal and a quick response from the superintendent. An addendum to the letter, shared on social media Monday, cites a 90 percent staff vote in favor of sending the letter. The letter was sent Jan. 31 and requested a response by Feb. 12.

"We need a new principal who will trust our professional opinions, value our input, reflect thoughtfully before making decisions and foster a positive school climate," the staff wrote.

The letter came in the midst of an ongoing hostile work environment investigation and related cases before the state Department of Labor Relations. The Andover Education Association has accused the district of opening the investigation as retaliation against union activity related to dissatisfaction with the principal. The district has maintained the investigation has nothing to do with the principal.

A judge ruled at the end of December that the investigation could continue, but said, "The allegations presented by the Union are both serious and troubling." The district informed the South School community of the results of the investigation on Feb. 14.

The principal, Tracey Crowley, began a medical leave of absence last month.

District Spokeswoman Nicole Kieser confirmed that Berman received a communication from the school's staff.

"Dr. Berman confirmed receipt of this letter before February vacation. South Elementary had an ongoing investigation based on allegations of a hostile work environment between educators at the school, which didn’t involve the principal," Kieser wrote. "As you can expect, the issues at South are complex and Dr. Berman does intend to meet with the staff and faculty in the near future."

In the letter, South School teachers criticize the leadership of the school over recent years.

"Staff members at South School have reported to Human resources many upsetting, unprofessional and inappropriate experiences regarding working with our current principal," they wrote. "Staff members have described feeling uneasy due to the impulsive, explosive and divisive behaviors exhibited by our principal on many occasions. Further, this leadership's inconsistent and inaccurate communication has had a detrimental effect on staff, students and parents."

They also said there's been a change since the appointment of an interim principal.

"We have noticed a tremendous change in the working conditions," they wrote. "This leadership style is built on trust, thoughtfulness and honesty as well as a deep knowledge of curriculum. A calm demeanor, clear communication and supportive presence has put the staff at ease during this uncertain time."

According to the letter, 46 out of 51 voting staff members supported the letter, while five voted against. The six teachers under investigation in the hostile work environment case abstained.

Andover Education Association President Matthew Bach said the union supported the staff's "efforts to improve their school culture.

"We respect and are proud of their decision to come together in unity to collectively work for the health of their entire school community," he wrote. "We stand with them and will continue to support them."

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the status of the hostile workplace investigation. The error has been corrected.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.