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Citing what they called a “hostile” work environment, union staff at John Greenleaf Whittier School say they do not support Principal Matthew Condon and Assistant Principal Cathy Koch.
Condon and Koch told WHAV Friday “we have been revamping structures and systems to facilitate improved student achievement and growth,” pointing to a recent increase in a state-defined metric for success. Their “doors are open” to staff seeking to give feedback, they added.
At a School Committee meeting last week, Special Education Teacher Barbara Greenwood read a letter from the Haverhill Education Association explaining its members’ “vote of no confidence.” Her colleagues in the audience stood solemnly while she spoke.
“Our staff has worked in a hostile environment—ignored, silenced, threatened, retaliated against and dismissed,” she said. “Most critically, we feel that the safety of our students and staff is not taken seriously.”
The union alleges the two principals fail to rein in students’ bad behavior, do not treat staff with “dignity or respect,” retaliate against those who speak up and require certain curricula without teachers’ input. A union survey WHAV could not verify revealed most members at the school shared these grievances about the administration’s poor communication.
Greenwood said, “This led us to reaching out to the superintendent and her staff for support. We are very disappointed in their response.”
Superintendent Margaret Marotta and two parents both defended the principals at last week’s meeting. Ken Morse praised the creation of modular classrooms for special education instruction — in the past, he said such support had to take place in the hallway. Like the principals, Morse also pointed to a positive trend in state accountability numbers, noting in particular a decrease in suspensions.
“I just want to make sure you guys have the good facts in front of you as well because I know there’s a lot of negative going around right now,” he said. “But there is parent support there. There is more, and we’re working to make sure that you guys hear that.”
Marotta said the middle school’s administration has good intentions and that it is a difficult time for everyone working in schools. The solution, in her view, is collaboration rather than finger-pointing.