Good Afternoon Beverly School Community,
I recognize that these past few months have been challenging and I wanted to share some of my thoughts with all of you regarding the current status of bargaining between the Beverly Teachers Association (BTA) and the Beverly School Committee. I am deeply saddened by the events of the past 10 days. Our students need to be in schools. Covid has already robbed them of too much learning. The work we have collectively done to establish programs and supports that uplift all of our students now hangs in the balance. I take tremendous pride in my 29 years as a Beverly educator and in my current role as lead educator. I remain steadfast in my belief in and support of all of you. Despite all of our best efforts, we find ourselves in the situation we are in now with our teachers on strike and our students out of school.
My role in the negotiations process is to help the School Committee understand the day to day workings of our schools and the operational impact on teaching and learning in our district. It is my responsibility to ensure safe and supportive learning environments for both students and staff. I am so proud of the work that we have accomplished in Beverly over the last five years, none of which could have been done without the support of our school community and beyond.
As we head into a new school week, I encourage each of you to redouble your efforts to help us end this difficult period. Public education is a collaborative effort, anyone who has spent any time in a classroom knows that. We succeed or falter together. I remain resolute in my commitment to the success of our schools, staff, and students and I look forward to seeing everyone back in their classrooms very, very soon.
Sincerely,
Sue Charochak, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
