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Teachers, former staff tell Board lack of respect and support drove them to leave
Summary
Multiple current and former staff told the board they resigned or plan to resign because of lack of support, micro‑management, inconsistent training and being pulled from roles; speakers highlighted special education coverage and inadequate mentoring for new teachers.
During the public hearing on Oct. 21 several staff and former employees described reasons for leaving the district and urged the Board to address workplace culture.
Karen Criscione (WPEA co‑president) described an instance where administration moved classroom furniture over the summer and required teachers to leave rooms as they found them; she said the guidance left teachers "in tears" when they returned. Christina Scillieri, a 12‑year former employee, told the board she left because of lack of resources and support. Venous Gunasekera read a letter from former employee Amy Kivlehan, who said she left after 15 years because she felt she was not respected and was repeatedly asked to work outside her certification.
Parents and family‑organization leaders also raised concerns about instructional impacts. Lauren Monaco, CO & BG HSA board member, said parents are "enraged" and complained that special education teachers are being used as substitutes, reducing services for students who rely on them. New teacher Melinda Simpson said she received no mentor until October and planned to leave for reasons of respect and lack of guidance.
Speakers asked the Board and administration to examine staff retention strategies, mentoring for new teachers and the district’s process for program rollouts. The meeting record does not include HR data or administration responses that substantiate or refute the specific claims about numbers of departures or the frequency of special education teachers used as substitutes.
