During Tuesday evening’s level three hearing, the West Hartford Board of Education denied the grievance filed by the West Hartford Education Association concerning potential contract violations for post-secondary special education teachers.

By Bridget Bronsdon 

The West Hartford Board of Education held a special meeting on Tuesday night to hear a grievance filed by the West Hartford Education Association.

During the 2024-2025 school year, according to the grievance, teachers in West Hartford’s post-secondary special education program reported staffing shortages that lasted until mid-February and failure to receive contractual lunchtime, preparation time, and testing time.

The special education program is for students aged 18-22 and focuses on skills concerning daily living, communication, socialization, and vocation. The program is heavily guided by the students’ individualized education plans which are developed between the parents and the district. Due to student’s needs, a small pupil-to-stuff ratio is required.

According to post-secondary educator Carla White, the program started the year with 10 non-certified staff members though they were allotted 18. As a result, White said she was unable to “develop a schedule where I could implement the student’s IEP goals and objectives as well as including contractual benefits such as lunch and prep time.”

White said schedules are created in collaboration with the post-secondary staff, vocational coordinators and are aligned with the student’s IEP goals and objectives. Due to short staffing, White said she was unable to receive her contractual lunch, prep, and test time without jeopardizing the student’s needs. White said she was frequently alone with her students, preventing her from flexing her schedule to accommodate her lunch or prep time. 

In addition to unfilled positions, staff absences were an issue throughout the year, exacerbating White’s inability to receive lunch and prep time. Other frequent issues include untimely transportation causing White and her colleagues to stay late.

Jessica Ritter, representing the West Hartford Public Schools administration, stated the “teachers were not directed to miss their lunchtime or their preparation time, this was voluntary in nature.”

Ritter argued the contract does not require a teacher to be compensated for missed lunchtime nor is short staffing a “contractual violation.”

Ritter also expressed concerns about the precedent that could be set. “Every time a salaried professional works a minute beyond their alleged workday, we somehow have to compensate for that, and that can be very dangerous.”

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