Teachers say curriculum roll-out sidelined their input and stretched classrooms

Multiple teachers and school staff at the Bridgeport gathering raised concerns about curriculum decisions and teacher voice.

"There wasn't a whole lot of coalition building around this curriculum before just deciding to spend a half a million dollars on it and expect the teachers to implement it," one teacher said, describing frustration with top-down adoption and reduced teacher autonomy.

Jeff Morrissey, president of the Richport Education Association, said his union has seen an improved ability to communicate with district leadership under the interim superintendent and welcomed the better access but affirmed teachers' concerns about working conditions.

Melissa Shekhetov, a local radio host who said she had spoken with dozens of teachers in 2024, said teachers "loved their job" but felt a lack of leadership and respect and that many board members had not listened to educators' concerns.

District leaders said they had held forums across the city to hear families, staff and students and described steps to rebuild trust; Superintendent Dr. Royce Avery said his priority was to "move with intention" and create spaces for voices to be heard.

Next steps: teachers' concerns about procurement and curriculum rollout were voiced publicly; the transcript includes no formal response detailing the procurement or vendor and district staff said they would continue community forums and engagement work.