Marblehead Teacher Strike Costs February Vacation, 5 More Days

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Marblehead Public Schools will be in session on Dec. 23 and on the Tuesday through Friday of February vacation week — with five additional days still to be determined — to make up for 10 days of school lost to the teachers' strike last month.

The School Committee voted to make up five of the days on what was to be a day off to start the upcoming holiday break, as well as eliminate four days of the February break, while sending out a survey to gauge public input on whether to make up the five remaining days during April vacation or at the end of June with the understanding that April vacations would then still have to be lost if there are any snow days this winter.

Superintendent John Robidoux presented the two options that he said are necessary to fulfill the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's mandated 180 days of learning by June 30 each school year.

• 'This Strike Was About All Of Us': Marblehead Teachers Reach New Deal

Robidoux said he proposed to DESE possibilities about extended school days and virtual days as ways to make up the time but was told that is not permitted because allowing them "would incentivize unions to strike because there would be no repercussions."

"There's no wiggle room," he said.

Robidoux also said Saturday school was a possibility but that received a cool response from the School Committee because of religious implications.

"I know there are families, I know there are staff, that have already made plans," Robidoux said. "But this is a consequence of the strike that we all have to live with."

The April vacation option would have schools in session on April 22 through April 25 as well as June 23 with any snow days added starting June 24. The June option would have schools in session June 23 through 27 with any snow days backfilled into April vacation.

The 11th day of the strike will be made up on Jan. 31 in what was previously a professional development day and is now a full in-session day.

One added detriment to simply extending the school year and hoping for no snow is that that option would necessitate pushing back the graduation date from the current June 6 date because of the required school days for high school seniors.

School Committee member Alison Taylor advocated for the parent survey to help provide the Committee input on sentiments and to fulfill a pledge to be more transparent with the community and become more engaged with parent sentiment before making decisions.

A final decision on where to add the final five school days is planned for the Dec. 19 meeting to help families plan for the rest of the academic year.

Robidoux called the strike and return to the classroom the day before the Thanksgiving break "a tumultuous few weeks."

"I am glad agreements were reached and that our students are back in school and our educators are back doing the great work that they do," he said. "Emotions ran high throughout the strike and the return to the classrooms and getting the teaching and learning back on track will take some time and some adjustments.

"I am confident, however, that our educators will ensure that they will focus on the students' well-being and their success and that they are attended to in a professional and caring way because, as educators student success is always our first priority."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)