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Parents, teachers and students urge board to reinstate educators after non‑reelection decisions
Summary
Several Groton Elementary and Galileo High School communities urged the board to reinstate a computer‑lab teacher and to rescind a non‑re‑election of a special‑education teacher; speakers described emotional impacts on students and potential harm from SPED teacher shortages.
During public comment, many parents, students and teachers described distress over recent personnel actions taken at site level and urged the board to intervene.
Groton Elementary speakers — including parents, students and classroom volunteers — described 'Mister Philip' as the heart of the school’s computer lab and extracurricular programs and asked that he be reinstated. Children gave personal testimony about emotional harm when the teacher was removed.
Multiple speakers from Galileo Academy urged the board to rescind the non‑re‑election of special‑education teacher Jessica Wong. Colleagues and parents described Wong's classroom effectiveness, her graduation from the district, and the difficulty of replacing SPED teachers in a tight labor market. A school nurse, paraprofessionals and several teachers said Wong had strong evaluations and that the SPED department has already faced turnover.
Speakers asked the board to use restorative practices, improve communication with parents and consider the district’s obligations amid a statewide SPED teacher shortage. The board did not take immediate personnel action on the public record; closed session items later in the meeting referenced non‑renewal notices and closed‑session directions to counsel.
