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Parent warns of staffing crisis at Methuen schools during public comment
Summary
A Methuen parent told the school committee that substitute and paraprofessional shortages are leading to frequent unsupervised groupings and repeated assignments to noninstructional spaces, urging the committee to address staffing and BBE contract issues.
During public participation at the Methuen School Committee special session on Oct. 21, resident and parent Jade Jalbert urged the committee to address an ongoing staffing and substitute shortage she said is affecting students across the district.
Jalbert told the committee she learned of the meeting late and submitted comments by email. She said her upper-school child reports spending time “six times per week” in the media center or auditorium because there are not enough substitutes to cover teacher absences. She also said shortages extend to paraprofessionals and one-on-one aides (BBEs), and that students have been left in large, combined groups unsupervised for periods she estimated at five to 30 minutes.
"The staffing at the schools is more is more than in crisis mode," Jalbert said. "Something must be done. I urge you to pay attention to this area so that you are aware of just how bad it is." The committee acknowledged receipt of the emailed public participation and closed the public-comment period.
The committee did not take formal action on the staffing concerns during the meeting; the topic was recorded as public comment and will be part of the public record. Committee members and staff referenced budget and staffing issues elsewhere in the meeting while discussing policy and budget planning documents, and committee members directed certain budget-policy matters to the finance subcommittee for further attention.
