Southampton Teachers Association Takes a Stand Against Unresolved Contract Negotiations

Donning matching black T-shirts, about 100 educators turned the final Southampton Board of Education meeting of the school year into a standing-room-only event on Tuesday night when they gathered in the intermediate school library in a show of dismay over unresolved contract negotiations.

The demonstration, led by Southampton Teachers Association President Sean Brand, came against a backdrop of retiree recognitions and the recent announcement that Dr. Jaime Bottcher, the assistant superintendent of curriculum, and Elementary School Principal Dr. Nicole Fernandez both were resigning.

Bottcher has accepted a new role as assistant superintendent for curriculum and data management at the Center Moriches Union Free School District.

“Continuing to watch quality teachers move on to share their talents after working out their growing pains in Southampton is a tide we hope to turn with these negotiations,” Brand said, addressing the Board of Education. “Their departures are not just losses, they are warnings. And for every colleague who leaves, there are others who remain steadfast in their commitment, yet quietly burdened by the question of whether they too should have left.”

At a general Southampton Teachers Association meeting last month, the status of the contract negotiations was a central focus of the agenda, Brand explained. He said he was unable to reassure the union members — which includes teachers, teaching assistants, guidance counselors, psychologists, speech therapists and nurses — but reminded them that there was still time before their collective bargaining agreement expires on June 30.

“Naturally, concerns mounted,” he said. “Members are concerned about their own bottom line and what next year looks like, whether we have a contract or not. Their presence is a powerful reminder that beyond every salary cell, in every budget line item, there is a name, a face and a life devoted to service.”

Their choice to remain with the Southampton School District is “courageous,” Brand said, but also “a call to action.”

“These negotiations are not only about retention,” he said. “They’re about restoring hope, affirming value and making it clear that Southampton is not just a place to start a career, but a place worth staying — and to, one day, stand proudly before this board, just as we witnessed this evening, to be honored not only for their years of service, but for the impact they made by choosing to stay.”

At the end of Brand’s nine-minute-long speech, the majority of the union members stood up and filed out — leaving the seats in the library nearly empty.

School Board Names Ex-Officio Student Members

The Southampton School Board appointed two students — rising senior Noah Kent and rising junior Mateya Silvera — as ex-officio members, who will attend all public meetings, provide student feedback and raise relevant issues, as per new guidelines from the State Education Department.

“We were pleasantly surprised to see that we did have a great deal of interest in the position,” High School Principal Dr. Brian Zahn said.

After the role was announced, Zahn and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Fatima Morrell met with interested students and asked them two questions: why they wanted to serve and how they planned to engage a diverse student body to ensure that all of their peers felt heard.

“We were so impressed with the student responses and it was a very, very difficult choice for us — it truly was,” Zahn said. “We wrestled with these decisions because each of our students were just bringing incredible ideas and visions and understandings for this role. But there were two students that certainly rose above that group and were shining for us.”

Noah said he plans to spread the word about Board of Education meetings by hanging up flyers and aims to help the district beautify its landscape, address school start time and “come up with solutions so kids can be more attentive at school.”

“I’m very excited because there’s so much progress to be made, and I’m thrilled to start working with the Board and my co-president, Mateya,” he said. “I am ready to take on the responsibility of this position. I’m determined to help the community of students throughout all three schools, so they feel included.”

Mateya said she feels confident that she can make inroads with her peers, which will ultimately deepen student involvement.

“I want to make people want to talk about school, want to be excited to go to school and ready to learn,” she said. “And I really feel that being here and with Noah, of course, I can make that change occur. I’m so excited to just make school really a place where everyone feels welcome and heard.”