Andover educators vote no-confidence in superintendent in wake of post-strike layoffs

The downsizing comes amidst a $2.7 million budget deficit for the school district.

Hundreds of educators in Andover overwhelmingly supported a no-confidence vote on Thursday against the district superintendent.

The vote came during an emergency membership meeting by the Andover Education Association weeks after the announcement that workers would be laid off to bridge a $2.7 million budget deficit.

“Our membership said loudly and clearly tonight Superintendent Magda Parvey must go,” said Matt Bach, president of the Andover Education Association and a high school history teacher, in a statement. “This is unacceptable for Andover, and steps must be taken to restore the trust of the educators and community.”

According to the release, the administration laid off two teachers and notified 12 educators that their positions would not be renewed. Additionally, 10 educators have announced their retirement this year or have voluntarily chosen not to return next year.

The staffing changes, made in collaboration with administrators and school principals, were made with decreasing student enrollment in mind and will maintain reasonable class sizes, programming, extracurricular activities and student services, according to the district’s website.

Andover School Committee Chair Dr. Lauren Conoscenti said she was disappointed in the vote.

“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.

Andover teachers went on strike in November for nearly a week, which secured an agreement with the district that boosted contractual increases over four years for teachers by 15.5 percent and for instructional assistants by 34 percent.

The agreement also guaranteed a living wage for instructional assistants, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, the ability to use accrued sick time to care for family members, and additional recess and lunch time for elementary students.

Consecenti noted that teacher unions across the state are using votes of no confidence to undermine public faith in district leaders. The Andover Education Association also held a vote of no confidence for the superintendent’s predecessor in 2020.

“This unhelpful and divisive action does not help move our schools forward, nor does it help out students or our community,” Conoscenti said in a statement.

However, teachers say that the superintendent is ignoring their concerns.

“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,” said Elizabeth Tyrell, a math teacher at Doherty Middle School and first vice-president of the union, in a statement. “Sadly, she has been negligent in her responsibility towards our collective good.”

On May 8, an amendment was approved at Town Meeting to increase the Andover Public Schools operating budget by $1.875 million, according to the district’s website. However, funding will not be available to the district until a future Special Town meeting is held to determine the funding source.

If approved, the district hopes to use the one-time additional funding for four positions and a portion to pre-pay debt service for renovation of the Doherty Middle School.

“The courage that families and voters in Andover displayed in fighting back against this retaliatory plan from Superintendent Parvey is giving us hope that we can still save our schools,” said Karen Torres, an instructional assistant at the Bancroft Elementary School, in a statement. “Now, the School Committee must do the right thing and put Superintendent Parvey on leave … to save our schools.”

The Andover Education Association will host a public family forum at the Memorial Hall Library on May 30 at 7 p.m.