111 Medford Teachers Let Go, But Many Could Return

MEDFORD, MA — More than 100 public schools employees in Medford were let go Monday, but many could be called back. Superintendent Marice Edouard-Vincent issued pink slips to 111 teachers stating that their contract would not be renewed for the 2020-2021 school year and their last day of work would be June 15.

The decision drew immediate pushback from the Medford Teachers Association, which said it was "deeply dismayed" by the elimination of 111 teaching positions at a time when students' needs are "greater than ever."

"Entire categories of both academic and vocational programming have been left without staffing," Charlene Douglas, president of the Medford Teachers Association, wrote in an email to Patch. "This decision is shortsighted and unwise because it will not allow our community to maintain the high quality of education our students so rightly deserve. Through the singular tapping of a 'send' button, Medford’s youth has lost a tremendous amount of resources and much needed quality instruction in multiple areas. Our youth deserves so much more at this time."

But the actual number of layoffs may end up being much lower, and many of those teachers could get called back, School Committee member Jenny Graham said. The district's contract with the teachers union requires that pink slips are issued annually by June 15. In some districts, this means that all teachers in their first three years get a pink slip, but Medford has typically issued them only to staff that truly will not remain employed.

Edouard-Vincent took a "different approach" this year, Graham said. The Medford Public Schools is facing a $3.5 million budget cut due to the coronavirus crisis, which includes the elimination of four administrators, six non-union staff, four secretaries, 25 teachers, one paraprofessional and seven retirement positions.

"Per the Superintendent's current plan, she anticipates that 25 will be truly laid off," Graham wrote on her website. "So, 111-25=86 could mean that 86 teachers are called back."

While the situation may not be as dire as the initial layoffs indicated, Graham stressed that the budget outlook is "bad." Edouard-Vincent shared her high-level plan for making the $3.5 million cut Monday, which also included $700,000 in supply and other non-staff reductions, Graham said. Despite this, the superintendent's plan fell $500,000 short, according to Graham.

"There are no good choices here," Graham wrote. "I promise that I will do my very best to make the least bad choices and to drive communications to the community as the plan unfolds."