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Parents and educators urge Holyoke School Committee to settle expired contract and oppose pay tied to licensure
Summary
Multiple parents, teachers and union representatives told the Holyoke School Committee on April 27 that an expired contract and a proposal tying pay to professional licensure threaten teacher retention, bilingual hires and classroom continuity.
Holyoke At the April 27 Holyoke School Committee meeting, parents, teachers and union representatives urged the committee to settle a contract that has been expired for about 300 days and criticized a district proposal to tie pay increases to professional licensure instead of experience.
Community members said the proposals risk losing bilingual educators and devaluing long-term staff. "This is the first year my second graders have had the same teacher as their older sibling," said parent Isak Axelrod, who told the committee that frequent teacher turnover undermines continuity for students. "Many of my fifth graders' former teachers have left the district."
Why it matters: Committee members heard sustained testimony…
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