I’ve been concerned this year about the low morale among teachers and staff at Bromfield, which, of course, affects the overall atmosphere in the school day by day. The “Open Letter to the Citizens of Harvard” in last week’s Harvard Press helped me to understand why this sadness and loss of enthusiasm and energy exists.
While addressing Harvard’s financial challenges, we, the town, have driven an overly rapid increase in health care cost share among some town employees, and then tried to move the teachers towards a settlement that was also untenable. In doing so, we have demoralized one of our greatest assets, our human resources.
Over the years Harvard teachers, students, and parents have collaborated in a productive and creative way. Together we have built a dynamic school system, which is one of the best in the state.
We cannot afford the bonuses our teachers deserve for their continued excellence and commitment in the face of declining resources (record number of students per class, increased number of classes per teacher, etc.) Furthermore, like many of us across the country, teachers are being asked to share a greater portion of the cost burden of health care. The least we can do under the circumstances is to grant a fair and decent timeframe for this increased sharing of the health care costs.
In the coming weeks, our town has an excellent opportunity to settle fairly with the teachers. We are going to need to solve serious financial problems regardless of the agreement produced by the teachers and School Committee. Wouldn’t it be prudent to ensure the continuation of the historically healthy and vibrant relationship between the teachers and the town through a fair and reasonable settlement?
The fair treatment of teachers, both financially and personally, is a key part of the foundation of Harvard’s future fiscal stability.
Weezie Potter
Littleton Road
