Teacher resignations could be larger problem than expected in Greenfield

Greenfield School Board member Cathy Walsh on Monday said that 16 teachers either resigned or retired at the end of the school year, which she said presents a more serious picture of staff turnover than the School Board was led to believe.

The administration had provided the board with resignation and retirement numbers for all staff. Those numbers showed no inordinate exodus. But Walsh said she separated teachers out and found 16 had left, compared with the six or seven that she found had been the more normal turnover over the last nine years.

Superintendent Conrad Farner said that he had not broken the numbers down by employee groups, but would do so and report back to the School Board.

Even if the 16 is confirmed, Board member Pam Sierzchulski urged the board not to jump to conclusions. The dramatic changes brought about by Act 10 to public employee pay and benefits caused last year to be a "bump" year. She urged waiting to see what the next year brings.

While board member Russell Spahn agreed that Act 10 could have triggered more retirements, it doesn't explain the resignations.