What’s Really Happening Inside Our Schools

As the educators who are in our schools every day, we want to make sure the community understands the
realities of how COVID-19 is impacting our students and education as a whole.

As leaders of Education Associations in Western Maine, we have dire concerns about our students and the
future of public education in our state. Educators are burning out. Fast. Teachers are working long,
unsustainable hours to provide the best services possible, given the situation and many are leaving the
profession early. Our students are suffering from the lack of efficiency of learning in hybrid and remote
systems, disconnection from their peers and teachers, and a host of social and emotional issues due to the
pandemic. Support staff are deeply concerned they will be laid off if lockdowns return. Everything is
uncertain and the stress in our schools is palpable.

As educators, we are asking for understanding and support to continue to do the best we can during
unprecedented times, from our administrators and from the community.

The uncertainty of how long the current situation will last weighs heavily on all those in our schools, and the
effects of these changes is taking a toll. To help our students succeed, the educators in Western Maine
believe the following key items are needed from local and state leaders. Each of our districts is unique;
some districts are handling these issues better than others. We feel, however, these eight points should be
the standard for all Western Maine schools:

● More Time to Help our Students

We simply do not have enough hours in the day to perform the follow up our students
need. Some districts have implemented a “fully remote day” as part of their hybrid model,
this time is often consumed by mandatory meetings. Administrators need to provide staff
with maximum time to plan, to provide students with feedback, and to communicate with
our support staff; adding a few workshop days here and there is not enough.
● Remote-only Teachers for Remote Learning
In some districts the same teachers are often teaching in-person and remotely, making it
more difficult to give students the one-on-one attention they need and deserve. When
more staff are available to provide direct support to remote learners, students are more
likely to succeed.
● Flexibility for Creativity
We are the experts in education. We need to be able to be selective and make good
choices based on our students’ individual needs because this is not “business as usual.”
Autonomy and respect are needed now more than ever.
● Removal of Testing Requirements.
Anything that does not directly provide instructional value to students and does not
increase student learning or promote student safety should be set aside, for now, in favor
of instruction that focuses on student success.
● Streamlining of Evaluation Requirements
Teachers need support now, not punitive discipline. We are in favor of a system that helps
provide guided feedback to help improve hybrid teaching but not in favor of a discipline
that uses an evaluation tool that was not intended for pandemic teaching and learning.
● Support Staff Job Security
 Teachers cannot do their jobs without support staff, and their jobs should be guaranteed
regardless of the learning model being used.
● Keep Students and Staff Safe
DOE’s safety requirements should be treated as an absolute minimum and districts should
strive to keep students and staff safe as the winter months set in. Adequate PPE should be
affirmatively provided to both students and staff. Adult sized masks don’t fit kid sized faces.
● Work with Us
Everyone is feeling stress right now, but the staff and students in districts where staff and
administration worked closely together to develop reopening and distance learning plans
and formal agreements about changes in working conditions are markedly more at ease
right now. Educators know what is best for our kids—please don’t shut us out of the
conversation.
Educators need to focus all our energy on what is most important: our students.

Our plates are full. We love what we do and we want nothing more than to provide high-quality instruction
for every student, but we cannot do that without the proper support and respect from everyone involved-
our superintendents, administrators and our community. To meet the needs of students and to keep our
school communities vibrant, it is imperative that action is taken before it is too late.

Sincerely,

Lewiston Education Association, Lewiston

Auburn Education Association, Auburn

RSU 73 Education Association, Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls

Mt. Blue RSD Education Association, Chesterville, Farmington, Industry, New Sharon, New Vineyard,
Starks, Temple, Vienna, Weld, and Wilton

Tri-Town Education Association, Turner, Green, and Leeds

Telstar Education Association, Andover, Bethel, Gilead, Greenwood, Newry, and Woodstock

Dirigo Education Association, Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, and Peru