Teachers, counselors and parents urge board to address involuntary transfers and declining staff morale

At Monday’s meeting of the Austin Public School District board, multiple teachers, counselors and parents described a wave of involuntary transfers, declining staff morale and recent resignations that they say are harming students and the district’s ability to retain experienced educators.

Rachel Stange, a science teacher at Banfield Elementary, said she resigned this spring after repeated classroom behavior problems and what she described as a lack of administrative support. “With the loving support of my husband, we decided for the mental health of my family that I must resign,” Stange told the board during public comment. She described rising disciplinary referrals and limited follow-up from building leadership.

Several other speakers gave similar accounts. A letter from counselor Kendra Oshkis — read into the record by her husband — said she was leaving because “my contributions to my school or the district are not respected or valued” and called the district environment “toxic and demeaning.” Lynn Heaton, a high-school counselor who said she was involuntarily transferred last year, told the board the transfers have created “a culture of fear, chaos [and] lack of consistency” and that many student-support professionals have left the district.

Parents and other community members recounted related concerns. Kyle Nelson, a parent, said Banfield has had multiple different classroom teachers for the same child over recent years and urged the board to improve leadership and mentorship so veteran teachers stay. Ellen Bay, a parent and certified public accountant, presented district data she said shows declining proficiency at Banfield and said open-enrollment rates from Austin to neighboring districts are high relative to state averages.

Speakers asked the board to respond on several fronts: 1) review involuntary-transfer practices and contract language authorizing unilateral assignment changes; 2) pursue measures to retain experienced staff; and 3) open formal board-level review of leadership decisions and staff morale. Parent and community member Isaac Blake requested that the board add three specific items to future working sessions: leadership issues at the building level, involuntary transfers, and teacher morale and retention.

Board member Dan Zilke, speaking earlier in the meeting during his board report, had raised the involuntary transfer issue and urged both sides in upcoming contract negotiations to “seek a compromise on the rights of assignment” while stressing that he would not personally involve himself in bargaining. Zilke said existing transfer language in the teachers’ contract — negotiated years earlier — is perceived by many as arbitrary.

No formal action, vote or policy change on transfers or personnel rules occurred at the meeting. Several speakers asked the board to schedule and participate in deeper, agendaed discussions to examine transfer language and district leadership decisions.

The board moved on to other agenda items after public comment, then entered a closed session for negotiations updates.

Ending: The comments join a string of recent resignations and complaints from staff and parents and mark a sustained public call for the board to review personnel assignment practices and building-level leadership. Several speakers asked the board to visit schools and to add the requested topics to a future work session for a fuller review.