Schools to lose 300 years of experience
June 13, 2007: Eleven experienced teachers are retiring from Randolph Schools, and there is no money in the budget to replace them.By FRED HANSON
The Patriot Ledger
Honored by the Randolph School Committee was a group of 11 retiring teachers who will be irreplaceable.
It’s not just trying to match the more than three centuries of classroom experience the group represents. It’s because there’s no money in the school budget for replacements.
“Every one of those positions will not be replaced,” School Superintendent Richard Silverman told the school committee Thursday night.
In addition, the school system has notified 34 more teachers that they may not have a job in the fall, either, because of budget restrictions or for performance reasons, Silverman said. All of the teachers receiving the notices have been in the school system less than three years, he added.
There are about 240 teachers in the Randolph schools.
While the school budget approved by town meeting last month contains a $500,000 increase, to $29.67 million, it is $3 million less than what school officials say is needed to maintain current programs. The school system’s staff will be reduced by about three dozen employees, including 23 classroom teachers. Other cuts include closing the Devine Early Learning Center, eliminating almost all school bus service, and deep cuts in athletic and extracurricular programs.
Honored at the meeting were Jackie Brenner of the Donovan School; Joanne Chapman of the Kennedy School; Francis Colosi, who retired in December as a special education chairman; Jean Costa of the Kennedy School; Pamela Elliott, a teacher at the Lyons School and former principal of the Donovan School; Ed Grilli, a special education teacher at Randolph High School; Ellen Hahn, a math teacher at the high school; Karen Raccuia of the Lyons School; Andrea Sakellaris of the Donovan School; Margaret Sullivan of the Devine Early Learning Center; and Pat Turner, elementary physical education.
Many of the teachers had been teaching in Randolph for more than 30 years.
Quick calculations by school committee Chairman Larry Azer said the group totaled more than 300 years of teaching in Randolph.
“You can’t go out and buy that type of experience. It’s tough to replace,” he said.
Fred Hanson may be reached at fhanson@ledger.com.