EA president urges school committee to rescind notice requiring extra class period for some teachers

During public comment on May 14, Zachary Dyer, president of the Eastern Educator Association, urged the school committee to reconsider a recent district notice that would attempt to require some teachers to teach an additional class period without extra pay.

Dyer framed the change as both a potential contractual violation and a moral issue, saying that educators are already overworked and that forcing additional uncompensated duties will contribute to burnout and difficulty recruiting and retaining staff. He said the association had raised its objections previously at the bargaining table and asked the committee to reconsider the notice and the district's strategy toward staff.

Dyer stated his comments represented nearly 400 educators in the district and asked the committee to treat educators as people with livelihoods, not simply as positions within the organization. He described negotiations and the union's outreach, and urged a culture shift in how the district treats staff. There was no formal committee response during public comment; the committee later moved to executive session for bargaining strategy under M.G.L. c.30A.