More than 40 members of the Latin School Union (LSU) gathered early this morning outside of the Lower School to express their disapproval of recent employment shifts in the LS Science and Spanish Departments.

On Tuesday night, the LSU sent out a newsletter saying that one of the two LS science teachers would be transferred to the Middle School, and that one of the two LS Spanish teacher positions would become part-time. As of now, one Spanish teacher position (which will transition to part-time) is vacant.

Faculty from all divisions assembled outside of the Lower School around 7:30 a.m., holding signs made by the LS teachers that said, “Save our Specials,” “Our Students’ Education is Not Negotiable,” and “Admin, These Are Your Cuts.”

President of the LSU Elissabeth Legendre said, “We are standing in front of the LS, standing up for colleagues, standing up for students, and trying to express our voice that we don’t think that the cuts to the LS teaching positions are the right thing for students.”

She added, “[This demonstration] is one tool in our toolbox, so I think it’s really important that our students know that we care about their education, and that our families know that we care about the students’ education. These cuts specifically affect LS students, but that means that they’re going to affect all these students that come up to the Middle School and Upper School, too. We are trying to make sure that our LS families know what’s happening in the buildings, so that’s why we’re in front of the LS handing out flyers with QR codes.”

Yesterday afternoon, Head of School Thomas Hagerman sent an email to inform the community about the union’s planned demonstration. He also addressed the union’s complaints.

“We want to be clear that although there may have been some redistribution of teaching responsibilities or assignments as part of our efforts to align current practice and the [Collective Bargaining Agreement], this work will not diminish, and, in some cases may enhance, divisional curriculum curricular and co-curricular programming, and/or subject content time,” Dr. Hagerman wrote in his email.

The demonstration lasted about 15 minutes and ended with the MS and US faculty walking into the MS building together.

Upper School librarian Lisa Patton said, “I think standing up for colleagues is a really good way to say it, trying to do the right thing for kids and the people that we work with.”