Tewksbury Teachers Union Votes No Confidence In Superintendent

TEWKSBURY, MA — The Tewksbury teachers union recently voted no confidence in the superintendent and assistant superintendent, union President Josh Bilodeau confirmed.

Bilodeau did not give specific examples but cited unprofessional behavior as the reason for the Tewskbury Teacher Association's vote, which he called "a long time coming."

"There are really three major reasons for the no confidence vote," Bilodeau said. "Firstly, the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent have not shown leadership. There's a level of micromanaging and lack of trust for teachers and aides that causes unneeded tension and stress. Additionally, there has been a pattern of unprofessional communication on the part of the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent towards teachers and aides."

Patch reached out to Superintendent Chris Malone's office and will update when we hear back.

Over 80 percent of the 277 attendees a Nov. 23 meeting voted no confidence, Bilodeau said. The union informed families in a letter sent Wednesday evening.

The union's vote has no legal implications, he said, but they are hoping to "start a dialogue" with the School Committee. As of Thursday afternoon, one School Committee member had spoken to a member of the union's leadership team, but no meetings had been planned.

Bilodeau did not mention the district's coronavirus handling as a reason for the vote, but in August, the union joined over 30 area teachers unions in calling for remote learning to start the year with a potential phase-in of hybrid learning. The School Committee selected a hybrid model from the start.

The union is planning to hold a parent outreach meeting on Dec. 10. Parents can register for the virtual event here.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.