Sheffield Teachers Unhappy with Keith Davis

For the next two days we'll take a break from the muck of elections to consider two school systems where educators are unhappy with leadership, policy, or both. First we'll hear from a Sheffield educator:

I am a teacher (in) the Sheffield City School System. I love working there and have been with the system for a long time. I am just frustrated with some decisions that have been made concerning teacher/staff extra work time. I’m also a mother to three children. This early requirement is challenging for me as well as others parents working for SCS because we have to be at work before other schools begin. Most of our own children attend other school systems. Dr. Davis is refusing to pay Sheffield City School employees the extra time he is mandating faculty and staff to be at school. Also, substitute teachers are being asked to be at our schools earlier and not being paid for their extra time as well. Teacher contract hours are 7:45-3:15 which is still in the board policy manual. Now it is 7:15-3:30 without any pay increase. 

I think the public should know what is wrongfully happening to SCS employees. In my opinion, we should be paid more because of being required to be on campus before our contract hours. Many teachers do come to school early and/or stay late by their choice knowing we are not getting paid overtime. However, being required to be at school earlier with no pay increase is just NOT right, especially during a pandemic where we are at a higher risk of infection from the COVID-19 virus. I don’t know of any place of employment that requires a person to be at work and doesn’t pay them for it. Also, AEA has been contacted and Dr. Davis still refuses to pay the teachers/staff as well as substitute teachers for required extra working hours.

After receiving the above communication, we heard from a second educator who states Davis is not enforcing the mask requirements for parents who visit the schools. He should remember that unhappy teachers make for unhappy students.