What are we asking for?

Springfield teachers feel that the district should reassess its priorities to best meet the needs of Springfield Students. Teachers are tired and do not feel supported or respected as competent professionals. While we will ensure teachers are paid a living wage that allows us to compete for the best teachers in the state, this campaign isn't about money, it's about what's best for students. 

Safety:

Many buildings in Springfield are in a state of disrepair, and SEA is asking that the district address several key environmental concerns. Temperature control, comfortable lighting, and access to staff bathrooms are the bare-minimum, and these are the fundamental asks in our proposals. 

Additionally, there is a need to provide more supports to students in crisis. Too often, staffing is so limited that dysregulated students are left unsupported and create a danger to themselves and those around them. SEA is asking the district to implement more specific policies to address these issues.

Respect:

Our district has been growing more and more top-heavy over the last 10 years, with administrative jobs increasing while classroom teacher and EA positions have been cut. This heavy-handed, top-down control of teachers has led staff to feel as though district leadership does not know what happens in their own buildings, but still believe that they know better than the teachers in the classrooms every day. Teachers want to feel trusted and valued as professionals, and masters in our craft. 

Teachers want to be able to have more of a say in the curriculum that the district adopts, have competitive pay for extra-curriculars, and don't want our time to be micro-managed and filled with busy-work meetings. 

A Sustainable Workload

Springfield teachers love our job and the students we serve, but we are tired. The district has refused to ensure elementary teachers have guaranteed prep time every day, even though current schedules and staffing would allow it. On top of that, the district has proposed that teachers work another 30 minutes every day on top of what we work now, as if teachers don't already work past our contract hours more often than not. 

Every year the administrative burden on teachers grows larger, and every year the district claws back more of a teacher's work day. SEA is asking to let teachers do our jobs. We are the experts, after all.