Teachers Union Challenges Some Transfers

The New Haven Federation of Teachers plans to file a complaint with the state labor board over some of the 53 transfers of teachers announced last week.

Meanwhile, student protest continued in New Haven over the decision, in which Superintendent of Schools Carol Birks eliminated 53 teaching positions and is transferring teachers in those positions to other vacant slots in the district. Birks said she acted to help cut a budget deficit. (Read more about that here.)

Teachers and students have staged numerous protests against the move this week. The latest came Friday, when 100 students at Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School staged a silent walk-out of class to protest the transfer of creative writing teacher Mindi Englart. (Click here to read a story about the students’ concerns.)

The teachers union’s executive board updated members about its plans in a letter sent Friday. It said that it plans to file a ​“prohibitive practice complaint” with the state over the transfer of union stewards and a union officer. The letter argued that the involuntary transfers were ​“based on retaliation for union activity.”

The letter also stated that the union will work with the superintendent to find other cost savings to eliminate the need to transfer teachers; and that it will extend the time in which teachers may file grievances. The union executive board wrote that it took the steps after consulting with a union attorney over the language in their contract.

“This has been an incredibly stressful time. And everyone is desperate for information and looking for immediate action and results,” the letter concluded. ​“While it often looks like nothing is happening, know for sure we have been working hard to determine and pursue the best course of action to achieve our goals.”