Highlands educators present bullying, workplace morale concerns to school board

The Highlands School Board hosted a packed room as members of the Highlands Educational Association, comprising more than 100 educators in the district, presented its case on bullying and workplace morale for the first time Monday night.

HEA President Rachel Crowell raised concerns about the surge in school violence and what she said is the district’s inconsistent enforcement of student discipline regarding bullying, which she said fosters a perception among students that violent behavior is acceptable.

“Union reps and school board members need to come together for the safety of these children,” Crowell said.

According to the teachers union presentation, administrators fail to consistently acknowledge teachers’ requests for behavioral support, even when students’ safety is at risk.

Staffing shortages, workplace morale and increasing special education and intervention resources also were discussed.

Crowell mentioned the high stress and anxiety that comes with being an educator. She pointed to what the union considers to be overly rigid schedules, patterns of involuntary transfers and excessive classroom monitoring by administration that foster a sense of fear and an environment where creativity is impossible.

“We have strong contracts and competitive salaries here,” Crowell said, “so that isn’t our issue.”

According to the teachers union’s report, the employee attrition rate at Highlands High School stands at 37%, with 138 employees leaving the district since 2018, including 61 teachers.

In comparison, the average attrition rate for teachers in Pennsylvania was 7.7% for the 2022-23 school year, as reported by the Penn State Center for Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis.

Kathleen Ransom, president of the Highlands Varsity Band Boosters, expressed concerns about the attrition rate. She emphasized the importance of respect, cooperation and collaboration among all stakeholders to restore the district to its full potential.

“This school has great potential. But we need to fix these issues now,” she said. “I have hope that the discussion tonight will bring subtle and meaningful changes.”

School board member Laura Butler acknowledged that the issues have persisted for some time. She questioned why they are only being raised now.

“For three-and-a-half years, I sat in this seat and nobody has ever brought this up,” Butler said.

Crowell blamed chain-of-command issues and a lack of direction on the Teacher-Administration Committee and the District Working Conditions Committee in the 2021-26 teachers contract. As a result, the working conditions committee, which would have included a school board member, was never established.

According to the contract, the committee is to contain “an equal number of district and association representatives,” and at least one school board member.

“I am here today to have an open dialogue, moving forward, between the school board, staff and administration,” Crowell said.

Superintendent Monique Mawhinney admitted she did not have much knowledge on the District Working Conditions Committee.

“When I came here, I didn’t know what the working committee was. I didn’t know what was happening,” she said. “It was very vague in the contract.”

Despite the initial confusion and vagueness surrounding the committee, the school board and union expressed a commitment to forming it and working together.

“We recognize that this is a legitimate concern,” said school board President Bobbie Neese. “This is a great opportunity for positive steps forward. We are excited to collaborate toward what is best for our students.”