To the editor:

Why are teachers bringing operational issues to the Barrington School Committee, a policy and oversight board, rather than raising and resolving them with their direct managers, as reported in the Sept. 14 Barrington Times? 

Where are the Barrington Public School administrators, including the superintendent and assistants, the principals, and other managers, who are responsible for effecting the BPS policies that teachers are protesting? 

Specifically, Ben Fillo (BHS teacher and head of the local teachers union) is described as presenting three main issues to the school committee: the use of a software platform, requirements for a reading program, and whether or not teachers should be required to be vaccinated. The first two are basic operational issues that should be resolved within the operational teams of the schools, namely the teachers and administrators. The third should no longer be a question for educated people who care about their own health and the health of others; COVID19 vaccines are necessary.

Thank you to the school committee for setting goals and directives for educating our children, as well as reviewing budgets and policies. The administrators now need to be effective managers to help the teachers and the school system execute on these goals and directives, and the teachers need to be thoughtful participants in creating solutions to the dynamic challenges we face today. 

A successful school system, like any organization, has these multiple parts of governance. For the sake of our children and our own future, we have to succeed on this.

Jonathan Leviss, MD

Barrington