Moving on: District teachers to be notified of new placements by May 10

Last Wednesday, April 28, Stacey Weisburg, president of United Teachers of Northport (UTN), an association representing teachers in the Northport-East Northport school district, headed to Bellerose Avenue Elementary School for an impromptu meeting with staff on the blacktop.

Earlier that day, Stacey got word that a “huge wave of anxiety” had come across the teachers after hearing that staff at Bellerose and Dickinson, on the verge of being displaced as a result of the BOE’s vote to close the schools at the end of August, were not getting the consideration they thought they would when placements for next school year were being assigned.

“For whatever reason, the message got sent to them that basically everyone [else] was going to be placed first and Bellerose and Dickinson would be placed last,” Stacey said. “I went there to listen to them and tell them what I knew so far.”

In an April 30 conversation with the Journal, NENUFSD Superintendent Robert Banzer addressed the concerns, stating that Bellerose and Dickinson Avenue teachers were not being considered last. He confirmed that every teacher in the district was given the opportunity to fill out a form stating his/her preference for placement next school year – what is referred to as a “voluntary transfer” in the language on teacher contracts.

“Anybody has an opportunity to say, ‘This is a position that I desire and would like to be considered for a voluntary transfer,’” said Banzer. "So now we know what everybody wants, is looking for. Now the question is, does that exist?”

According to Stacey though, that process was unclear. She was told that yes, teachers put in for their voluntary transfers (back in March), but the information was given out differently in different buildings.

“So this is a problem, you know, with six buildings, six administrators, six different messages,” she said. Staff in some of the buildings were told that everyone needed to fill the forms out “because no one is safe,” she said, and at other buildings, staff were told only to fill it out if they wanted to leave or change positions.

A Bellerose teacher for over 20 years prior to joining the union as president, Stacey is empathetic to not only the emotions brought up by these types of miscommunication, but to the overall plight of the displaced teachers. Approximately two weeks ago, she and her executive team met with the district and requested a hard date to know where teachers are going. She has been told – and the district confirmed – that all teachers will be notified of their placements by May 10.

“The problem is, when people don't know what the plan is or what is coming, that is what breeds the rumor mill [and] anxiety. Especially teachers,” she said. “We like to plan, we’re planners. We plan our lessons, we plan our classrooms, we plan everything. And so not to know where you’re going or what you're doing after – some people have been here for over 30 years – is so unsettling. That to me is what is causing the most anxiety.”

Add that to a few rumors, and conflicting information, and “it’s a recipe for a nightmare,” she said.

The confusion and uncertainty surrounding teacher placement has been a recurring concern voiced by residents at district gatherings, from last month’s board of education meetings to PTA meetings as recent as yesterday evening.

According to Mr. Banzer, requests for voluntary transfers are with the district’s human resources department, and conversations regarding next school year are in progress between administration, principals and other officials (Stacey said she’s even been called for assistance in a few instances).

There is no provision in the contract for seniority, said Banzer, meaning that veteran and tenured teachers have to go through the same process as everyone else. He did state that a teacher wanting to stay in their current position (both location and grade) at any of the four remaining elementary schools would not be displaced.

The district will be considering retirements, and the new 5-8 middle school model, when looking at requested scenarios, Banzer said, and if those scenarios exist, the district will fill them. In addition to contractual obligations, making sure there is a presence of familiar faces for students transferred to new schools is also a consideration, he said.

Common sense dictates that all requested scenarios will not be able to be filled. In these situations, conversations might ensue about an “involuntary transfer,” one that fills an available position but is not a teacher's first choice. For example, a teacher may want a certain grade level in a specific building, but the only position available for that grade is in a different building. There would also be cases of involuntary transfers, Banzer explained, where a match is determined simply because someone needs to have a position and a position is available.

The nature of this reality is a tough pill to swallow, said Stacey. Banzer stressed this is not a unilateral decision, it is a bargained agreement, “how our transfer language works,” he said.

So, what is next for teachers?

The good news is that, thanks to an incentive negotiated by the UTN that has over a dozen elementary school teachers retiring at the end of this year, no teachers will be excessed due to the school closures. The less comforting news, for many people in the community, is that the transition has to take place in such a short amount of time.

Meanwhile, some district residents, as evidenced in this week’s PTA meetings, are still seeking clarity about how, where and when their beloved Bellerose and Dickinson teachers are being placed and if, indeed, they are getting the consideration they deserve.

Stacey said she does believe the district is trying to place teachers according to their requests as much as they can, but added that she really won't know until placements are disclosed May 10.

The UTN will continue to monitor where teachers have been placed, what other positions are open, and any shifts that happen after May 10. “Then really, we are going to be talking about the enormous task of packing up and unpacking and when this will all happen,” she said.

Stacey said she’s pitched some ideas to administration to give teachers time to prepare for their moves. “It's a huge undertaking,” she said. “The work falls on the laps of the teachers and principals, and delaying the critical information of placement is a major challenge.”

As far as transitioning teachers to their new environments, district officials said in an email to the Journal that they are preparing various ways to make transferred staff feel connected to their new buildings: “As part of the district’s process for welcoming new teachers, we offer a mentorship program in each building. This process will also be open and available to teachers who are transferring buildings, and they will be welcomed with the same energy and enthusiasm as we would welcome teachers who are new to our district. Additional opportunities to welcome transferred staff are still being explored as well.”

And when will parents know where teachers are going? District officials told the Journal that placements should be made public shortly after the 10th, but noted that some could change after this date. Stacey hopes the information will be available immediately.

“The more people know, the less anxious they will be,” she said. “Because then they’re part of the decision making, or at least part of the process.”

You may also be wondering: What’s going to happen to Mrs. Lori Beekman and Mrs. Laurie Storch, principals of Bellerose and Dickinson, after this school year?

According to Superintendent Banzer, there are open administrative positions available for them.

“Both Mrs. Storch and Mrs. Beekman are highly thought of, and we value their commitment and their leadership,” he said. "We are looking at other options that exist for them to continue their leadership in the district."