Parents, educators and students urge board not to cut social workers or Montessori paraprofessionals

Dozens of parents, educators, students and union representatives addressed the Cincinnati Board of Education on May 19 to oppose proposed cuts to school social workers and Montessori paraprofessionals.

Speakers included classroom social workers, parents from Montessori school communities and students who described the direct impact of social workers and paraprofessionals on attendance, behavior and emotional support. Several public speakers supplied petitions and letters: a parent said a petition opposing the proposed half-time shift for Montessori paraprofessionals had gathered more than 300 signatures by early afternoon.

Sandy Hartman, a school social worker, described daily student use of a designated break space at her school and said social workers provided hundreds of student supports; she said cutting school social-worker positions would "not be worth the cost to our students' mental health." A district social worker who works with multilingual learners said a cut would remove supports for children carrying complex trauma, calling social workers "keepers of so many silent fears, worries and grief."

Multiple Montessori parents and local Montessori leaders said reducing paraprofessionals from full time to half time would "fundamentally disrupt" the Montessori model, which depends on a second adult to support multi-age, hands-on instruction. Clayton Adams, a parent at Dater Montessori, told the board the changes "would negatively impact students and teachers," and several parents described paraprofessionals' roles in small-group instruction, behavior support and supporting students with 504 plans.

Union leaders and school staff told the board these positions are central to day-to-day operations. CFT President Julie Sellers warned that cutting paraprofessionals and school social workers would undermine services the district relies on to reduce chronic absenteeism and support students in crisis. A union representative suggested the district first reexamine outside contracts and off-site events for potential savings before laying off district employees.

Board members listened and thanked speakers for coming; no formal board action was taken in response during the meeting. The board and administration said they would continue budget deliberations and return with additional proposals, and several board members asked administration for detailed cost and contract analyses in June.

Speakers and organizations that addressed the board included school social workers, Montessori parents and leaders, Student Government representatives, and the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers; many asked the board to preserve full-time paraprofessionals in Montessori classrooms and to avoid cuts to school social workers that staff and families say are already overstretched.