On September 24, BEU educators at BHS sent out a personalized version of the following message:
Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers,
I was looking forward to meeting all of you via Zoom at Brookline High School’s annual Back to School Night Event on September 30th. Unfortunately, for the third September in a row, a new school year has arrived and my colleagues and I are working without a contract. This has too often been the case. For another year, this means yet another pay cut for all of us because our salaries have not kept up with inflation. When the School Committee resists giving serious attention to working conditions and refuses to consider true cost-of-living adjustments–leaving our salaries and working conditions unresolved–it means I do not have the full financial picture for my family and myself or a way to plan my worklife. It is doubly stressful given the current state of the pandemic, since health and safety measures are also addressed through negotiations.
Therefore, I write to let you know that I will be postponing the back to school night event until three-year contracts are signed for Units A & B (teachers, related service providers, and administrators). If you have questions, please direct them to the School Committee.