In an open letter on April 6 to the board and the Office of Accountability and Efficiency, the MTEA challenged Superintendent Brenda Cassellius on her plans to implement the two-step COLA and to cut the number of assistant principals, paraprofessionals and centrally assigned teacher specialists, sending most back into schools as classroom teachers. Cassellius stated classroom teachers would not be cut.
The MTEA called Cassellius a “liar,” pointing to reports that some music, art and physical education teachers were being cut at some schools. But Zombor stated that the district would maintain the same number of specialists in these areas even though there would be fewer students in the district next year. In some cases, individual schools simply lost a critical mass of students, or the school community made staffing choices.
Zombor suggested that some of the teacher cuts being announced now are based on projected enrollment at schools for next school year rather than waiting for the actual enrollment numbers in fall, when schools must cut teachers a month after the school year starts, which has caused classroom disruptions. The district is actually hiring 89 additional teachers and 63 paraprofessionals in an effort to lower class sizes.
On April 24, Cassellius sent a memo to principals that paraprofessionals who were cut to 30 hours per week could now be employed for 40 hours if they choose. Additional funds were now available to hire instructional facilitator teachers. Other funds were being sought.