Students, teachers and residents press North Andover School Committee over teacher cuts and world language eliminations

North Andover students, teachers and residents pressed the School Committee on staffing cuts and the elimination of the middle-school world language program during public comment, saying the changes will harm students— instruction and the district—s diversity of offerings.

Speakers said the reductions followed a multi-million-dollar budget shortfall that led the district to cut about 40 teaching positions systemwide and close one elementary school. The superintendent told the committee the district was operating with an unresolved budget gap and that the district had followed the collective bargaining agreement in making cuts.

Why it matters: Students and families said early and continuous world-language instruction is needed to reach advanced levels and college-credit opportunities. Teachers warned that removing middle-school language and reducing high-school native-speaker positions will reduce students— long-term outcomes and may disproportionately affect students who benefit from instruction by multilingual, native-language teachers.

Public commenters included…