Andover Educators' Union Votes No Confidence In Superintendent

ANDOVER, MA — An "overwhelming majority" of the Andover Education Association's membership voted to support a no-confidence resolution in Superintendent Magda Parvey, according to a statement from the union.

Parvey has come under fire for supporting cuts to the education budget that would result in educator layoffs.

“As an educator of color, I had high hopes for Dr. Parvey using her position of leadership to advocate for fully funded, well-staffed public schools that all students deserve," Elizabeth Tyrell, a math teacher at Doherty Middle School and first vice-president of the union, said in a statement. "Sadly, she has been negligent in her responsibility towards our collective good. Continuing to ignore feedback regarding class size and changes in service delivery from students, families, and educators will be a barrier to us getting back to what we’re supposed to be doing: teaching our community’s youth."

Andover School Committee Chair Lauren Conoscenti responded, calling the no-confidence vote "unhelpful and divisive." She said that Parvey has led the school district with "the utmost professionalism, an unwavering focus on the needs of our students, and a strong commitment to the Town of Andover."

"Union leaders are now trying to scapegoat Dr. Parvey for personnel reductions that are necessary in part because of significant salary increases included in the new teachers’ contract," Conoscenti said in a statement. "As the district faces serious fiscal challenges, Dr. Parvey and her team have worked diligently to craft a budget that continues to put students and families first, while proposing difficult but necessary decisions in order to align increased expenses with available revenue."

The Andover Education Association went on strike last fall after they were unable to come to an agreement with the Andover School Committee. The two sides reached an agreement in November that boosted teacher pay by 15.5 percent and instructional assistant pay by 34 percent over a four-year period.