LETTER: School district should make aides staffers vs. contractors
August 12, 2023Editor’s note: The following letter to the Harwood Unified Union School District School Board was submitted to Waterbury Roundabout to share with the public.
Dear HUUSD School Board,
I am writing to express my concern regarding the concerning correlation between high rates of restraint and the district's reliance on contracted service providers. It is important that we do not overlook this issue and take proactive steps to address it.
One solution that could significantly contribute to resolving this matter is to prioritize the hiring of district employees. By doing so, the district would have the opportunity to train and supervise its own employees, ensuring alignment with our community's values and necessary care to our students.
As taxpayers, we should be concerned if these contracts are diverting funds away from public schools. Although it may appear to be a cheaper option on the surface, contracted services limit staff flexibility and isolate support personnel to specific tasks, hindering their ability to assist in various areas of the district as needed.
This approach proves ineffective, particularly during employee absences. For instance, when a student, who receives services from a behavior interventionist through a contracted provider, is absent, the interventionist cannot aid other students who have support from district employed instructional assistants, exacerbating staffing challenges. In fact, many times, they are assigned to schools outside of our district while their student is absent. This situation becomes more complex when a contracted BI is absent, forcing the school to reassign a district employed instructional assistant from their primary task to cover the absence.
Behavior interventionists employed through contracted agencies lack qualifications distinct from district-employed instructional assistants. This raises the question, if the qualifications are nearly identical, why doesn’t HUUSD simply hire interventionists directly?
Additionally, I urge the board to scrutinize the competitiveness of negotiated agreements for recruiting and retaining district employees. Applicants might favor contractors like Washington County Mental Health due to higher hourly wages. This may deplete our internal applicant pool, undermining our ability to offer optimal care for students.
I urge the school board to examine the matters highlighted in this letter. It is essential to prioritize students' well-being and our community's values by ensuring responsible individuals are well-qualified, trained, and aligned with our goals. Investing in district employees can collaboratively foster a safer, more nurturing environment.
Brian Dalla Mura
Duxbury