Educators, parents, and students who are alarmed over the lack of a contract settlement that provides provisions against arbitrary termination, rallied outside the school site on Tuesday November 1st to push the charter management organization for a settlement worthy of its outstanding High Tech staff.

While teachers admire and appreciate their students, the school lacks effective leadership. A disconnected, revolving door approach has left staff without continuity-or confidence it will improve. Without the changes teachers have demanded, the school management team will leave the problem of attrition unresolved and ongoing. This is not an option for High Tech teachers.

Site representative and newly-elected union secretary Claire Deken took the podium to make the case for a fair dismissal process at the charter school. Her passionate speech included her frustration in the sheer number of changes in staff and leadership in her six years of service at the school. “Our turnover is atrocious. I’ve worked on four teaching teams under 7 academic coaches, 4 directors, and 3 CEOs.” She described how the school struggles to retain experienced teachers, especially those from historically marginalized communities. Leaving a CEO with little or no understanding of a school site to unilaterally terminate an educator doesn’t meet the industry standard, and is contrary to building a culture of equity and fairness.

High Tech Education Collective members, parents and students held signs echoing those concerns, including “We Deserve the Right to Due Process”, “Fear & Uncertainty Create Turnover” and “Fear is No Way to Run a School.”

Parents and students were vocal in their support for a fair settlement. High Tech Explorer parent Marissa Eriksen and son Andrew attended the rally to stand with teachers. Student Andrew Eriksen delighted the crowd with a plea for fairness so more teachers would stay at the school.

“I love the school, but I was shocked that teachers were not working under the industry standard for their profession. They need to make it right.”

– Marissa Eriksen

There is a great deal of determination in this fight for a contract including provisions for fair termination. Hight Tech High teachers have already agreed to salary other elements of the contract- but they will move officially to impasse with the charter management organization if they are unsuccessful at the table.

If impasse is declared by educators, a state-appointed mediator will step in with both sides and make one more attempt to broker a settlement.