On Jan. 14, the Ann Arbor Board of Education held a meeting where students and staff spoke out about the impact of ongoing contract issues at the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education meeting in January, highlighting how teacher and paraprofessional pay affects classrooms and extracurricular activities.
No one spoke during the public commentary period, but during the community feedback section of the meeting, trustees reviewed written comments from students that were read aloud.
“Because teachers currently don’t have a contract we are losing multiple things such as clubs and office hours,” wrote Huron High School student Sadie Meggison. “We only have so much time in class so we are busy and don’t get to meet many people, and sometimes we don’t have time to get our questions asked. It is very important we get a new contract so we can get these things back.”
Other students echoed her concerns. Everett Witter asked the board to renew the contract with the Ann Arbor Education Association so clubs could continue, whereas Jessa Mose-Newman wrote that the lack of a contract has made teachers less willing to volunteer for extracurricular activities.
“Teachers are not volunteering their time for clubs and office hours anymore, due to not being valued in a monetary manner,” Mose-Newman mentioned in her feedback. “For the sake of the students, us, who the board is meant to help educate, please allow for new contract terms to be created.”
Green Team, a popular environmental club at Huron, was highlighted as an example. Liam Dooley said that without a renewed contract, in-person meetings for the club have been cancelled. Charlotte Hair described the impact of the shutdown.
“With Green Team we were making the planet a better place one club meeting at a time, and without it we will not only be sad but we will be threatening the next generations after us,” she wrote.
Union representative Claire Arthur of the Ann Arbor Educational Assistants and Paraprofessionals said low pay and understaffing make it harder for staff to support students.
“Members report they are hanging on by a thread. Several have expressed they are seeking employment elsewhere, but feel terrible about leaving the students they care about,” Arthur said.
Arthur also stated that advertised step increases often end up smaller for AeAP staff, which can contribute to turnover and low morale.
Superintendent Jazz Parks clarified that the higher step increases only apply to teachers, not paraprofessionals, and said incentive pay agreements must be renegotiated each year. She also noted the district is working on improving insurance and other support for staff.
The discussion, however, made it clear that contracts aren’t just about pay. They also affect classrooms, clubs and other student programs.
“The way to fight for our students who are most vulnerable is to fight for our unit. Please tell the district to care,” Parks said.
More information on board meetings and updates can be found on the Ann Arbor Public Schools website. Watch the full meeting here.
More coverage on this topic will be shared as developments continue.
