As educators in the Amherst public school system we are dedicated to providing the best possible educational experience for our students. This has become increasingly difficult due to the unsafe, unhealthy, and in many cases inaccessible, conditions of our buildings.
The aging ventilation systems are clogged with dust. Our bathrooms are not accessible for all students. Our bulletin boards are moldy. Problems with rodents found their way into our classrooms and our library, making discoveries of rodent droppings a common occurrence. Our ceilings are leaking, our doors are rusted to the point they need brute force to open, and our classrooms are either so cold we need to wear coats or so high into the 80s that floors become dangerously slippery.
We want the Amherst community to know that our working conditions are the learning conditions of our students. These conditions are no longer challenges, but in many cases have become barriers to providing a quality education that the students deserve.
Schools need to be safe, healthy, and nurturing environments in order for students to succeed. We urge the Amherst School Committee and the Amherst Town Council to move forward with the statement of interest process with the Massachusetts School Building Authority before the April 12 deadline. The students of the Amherst public schools are depending on you to make the right choice for their future.
Jean Fay
Amherst
The writer is the president of the Amherst Pelham Education Association.