St. Thomas-St. John District AFT To Join St. Croix In Protest On Monday

ST. THOMAS — The St. Thomas-St. John District American Federation of Teachers union members will join their St. Croix counterparts on Monday for simultaneous protests, with the St. Croix event taking place at Government House in Christiansted from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., while the St. Thomas protest happens at the same time outside the Legislature.

The protests fall on the day of Governor Kenneth Mapp’s State of the Territory Address, set to take place in the Earl B. Ottley Legislative Hall.

A subtitle of the release reads, “VI Education in Crisis”. The release then lists a myriad of issues (updated in a newer press release) that AFT has identified as affecting education in the territory. They include the following:

• The Department of Education’s budget is grossly underfunded. Educator resources are severely limited. Schools do not have sufficient textbooks, teachers’ manuals, other supplies and equipment. (e.g., copy paper, printers, copiers, computers, smart boards & replacement parts, etc.)
• Students’ learning and AFT members’ working environments present disturbingly serious health and safety issues in crumbling facilities, (e.g., broken PA systems, mold and rodent infestations, etc.
• The DOE procurement process to acquire necessary supplies, materials and services is cumbersome.
• The temperature in our classrooms is unbearable, dangerous and not conducive to teaching and learning. Schools should be properly retrofitted to accommodate the badly needed air conditioning units that are in all government offices.
• The  Teacher  Evaluation  System  takes  valuable  time  away  from  planning  and  instruction  and our infrastructure and lack of resources do not support it.
• Too many initiatives are impossible to adequately implement due to the lack of resources and support systems. There are too many demands and AFT members are incredibly overworked.
• Educators have no autonomy in the classroom. The educational system operates on a top-down paradigm; teachers have no voice. The DOE has lost its way.
• Caring,  certified   and  competent   educators  and   support  staff  are  leaving  the  profession   due   to noncompetitive wages, insufficient resources, and hazardous facilities. Instructional time and the safety of our students are being compromised due to insufficient staff.
• There  is an  abundance  of unresolved  grievances  with  the Office  of Collective  Bargaining  as it systematically fails to act on member complaints and contract violations.
• 32nd Legislature of the V.I., Committee on Education members along with the Education Commissioner are considering hiring virtual teachers. This physically removes teachers from classrooms while virtual teaching does not work for all students.
• Education is not a priority in the Virgin Islands.

Many of the grievances will sure to be challenged by the Mapp administration along with the Department of Education, but the list includes a number of issues that teachers and residents alike have long complained about.