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Teachers’ union raises retention, retaliation concerns; public asks for contract clarity and transparency
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Summary
Newburgh Teachers Association president told the board that educator morale and turnover have worsened and urged a fair contract; community members and parents asked for dates, plain-language summaries and timely posting of meeting materials and audio.
At the start of the public-comment period, Stacy Moran, president of the Newburgh Teachers Association, addressed the board and described staffing shortages and morale concerns in the district. “Educators’ voices are no longer valued, and retaliation and union animus have become the norm,” Moran said, and she asked the board for a fair contract and steps to keep teachers in the district.
Moran cited high turnover: “Since 07/01/2022, 212 faculty members have resigned. 22 have resigned in just the last 4 months,” per her remarks in the meeting. She said vacancies and unfilled positions harm student continuity, increase teacher workloads and exacerbate burnout. Moran urged competitive salaries, stronger benefits and meaningful professional growth as remedies.
Other community speakers echoed demands for clarity and transparency. Eric Burand said the board’s policy limiting who may speak at meetings felt “arbitrary and capricious” and asked for permission to address contract questions; Tracy Wallace invited families to a Nov. 18 meeting about forming a special-education parent-teacher-student association (SEPSA).
Board members responded in part by committing to revisit public-comment rules through the policy committee and by describing existing processes for bargaining. Several trustees asked for clearer public communications about next steps in the contract process; one trustee asked staff to provide a plain-language one-page summary of any anticipated contract action that would include term and headline fiscal impact so parents and taxpayers could understand proposed changes quickly.
No formal bargaining agreement or ratification occurred at the meeting; trustees and speakers repeatedly asked for dates and for routine posting of meeting audio and documents so families do not remain uncertain during negotiations.
