Baltimore Teachers Union raises staff anxiety over funding, FMLA treatment and hostile workplace reports

Diamond Tay Brown, president of the Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU), addressed the board on March 11, urging clearer district communication to reduce staff anxiety about potential funding cuts and reductions in force.

Brown said many staff are troubled by uncertain messaging coming from state and federal levels and by principals who have told staff they may need to cut positions. She cautioned against “weaponizing” successful negotiated raises as justification for cuts and asked that principals clearly differentiate between reassignment of staff and permanent layoffs. Brown thanked Jerome Jones, director of labor relations, for agreeing to speak with building representatives to clarify that the district does not foresee layoffs at this time.

BTU also requested a public CEO-search dashboard or other regularly updated information that would provide ongoing transparency about the search process, what it will include, and how often it will be updated. Brown said the email address for search input is useful but a persistent dashboard would better reduce staff anxiety.

On leaves and workplace culture, Brown reported members’ concerns about the district’s handling of FMLA leave and said some employees who take leave feel stigmatized by derogatory comments. She urged a district survey of employees who have used FMLA or taken leave to identify opportunities to provide better support. Brown also reported complaints of “principal bullying” and hostile work environments, and she urged the board to investigate schools with high staff turnover.

Ending

Brown said she will follow up with the board directly and requested clearer communication and formal feedback mechanisms to address staff concerns.