St. Charles teachers upset with administrative cuts

St. Charles teachers are demanding answers about a proposal to cut 10 administrative positions at both high schools and replace them with union teaching jobs.

In a memo sent Tuesday to Superintendent Don Schlomann, faculty and staff members at St. Charles North High School warned that the new structure could create an operational "nightmare."

The authors also raised questions about how the move will affect classroom teaching and why the faculty and staff weren't consulted about the changes.

"It is very difficult for us as professionals to support a change initiative when a clear, new path is not communicated, current research is not provided to support the new structure, and numerous questions have not been answered," the memo says. "Since we have not been given this information, at first glance, it seems like this change will create a nightmare for administrative and managerial functions at our high schools."

Schlomann responded by saying teachers "have some legitimate concerns," which will be addressed today and Friday in staff meetings at North and East high schools.

"I don't expect that, when you're changing people's jobs in the dramatic way we kind of did here, a collaboration is something that would get us to that position," Schlomann said Wednesday. "At the same time, I have an obligation to go back to the teachers about how we structure things for the future."

Last week, 10 administrators known as instructional coordinators, split evenly between the schools, were notified their positions are likely to be replaced with "master teacher" jobs, which Schlomann said would shift resources to the classroom.

He said the change could result in "substantial" pay cuts for more experienced administrators who opt to switch roles. But he reiterated that the move is about improving education, rather than saving money.

Pam Turriff, president of the teachers union, said the faculty and staff are worried about losing the support instructional coordinators provide through performance reviews and other administrative functions.

"The teachers, I think, feel very supported by the ICs and they're worried that level of support will be missing," she said Wednesday. "The question out there is who's going to do those jobs?"

The union has 1,021 members, but no administrators. Next month, they begin negotiating a new contract.

The school board is expected to vote on the administrative cuts Feb. 11.