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Bay City ISD teachers urge board to address staffing cuts and leadership trust
Summary
Multiple Bay City ISD teachers and community members told the school board Tuesday night they are burned out and distrust district leadership after staff reductions, increased class sizes and an unresolved incident from August 2023.
Several Bay City Independent School District teachers and community members used public comment Tuesday to urge the board of trustees to address staff reductions, rising class sizes and what speakers described as a breakdown in trust between campus staff and district leadership.
The concerns, voiced during the public-comment portion of the meeting, centered on workload and morale. Britney Linley Gould, who identified herself as a Black Hat alumna and a 18-year teacher at Bay City Junior High, said district leadership had treated junior-high staff “completely berated and falsely accused” at a 2023 Meet the Teacher night and that the district has not apologized. “Without that apology, he lost any chance of gaining our trust and support,” Gould said.
The speakers said staff cuts for budget reasons have left teachers covering more students and more grade levels, increasing paperwork and classroom workload. Victoria Mitchell, who identified herself as an investment educator and community advocate, told the board that some teachers are carrying “well over 30 students, and in mine, I'm pushing 40,” and said the district’s leadership approach feels “top down” rather than collaborative.
“Educators will support it and families trust in the direction of our schools. And unfortunately, under the current leadership, I and many others have witnessed a concerning disconnect between the administration and the realities in the classroom,” Mitchell said.
Other teachers echoed the message. Tracy Williams said teaching is “not a business” and described long days, additional paperwork for special education and English-learners (ESL), and the emotional toll of added responsibilities. Cindy Simpson described repeated cuts to course sections and delays obtaining supplies and said teachers are staying late to grade and prepare lessons.
Public commenters tied specific effects to recent staffing decisions: one teacher said she went from 124 to 156 students this year; others described elective and specialized classes – choir, theater, ESL support – running with far larger rosters.
Board members asked clarifying questions during and after comments about scheduling, intervention time, transportation for tutoring and whether the district’s accountability and goal-setting tool (LSG) is still serving the district’s needs. Several speakers and trustees said they wanted clearer data on year-to-year growth rather than single-assessment snapshots.
The public-comment period concluded without board action; speakers asked the trustees to prioritize teacher and campus voices in future decisions and to consider steps to address workload, training and morale.
The meeting continued with reports and other agenda items.
