When Joan Gardiner began teaching at Patterson High School 18 years ago, she knew she'd found her niche in the familylike school community that served students from one of Baltimore's largest and most tightly knit neighborhoods.
But the school system recently informed her in an email that she was no longer "a good match" for Patterson, sending the 27-year educator to a city schools job fair.
Gardiner described in a recent interview where, with a stack of resumes, she stood among the hundreds of new and displaced teachers in a sweltering gymnasium at Polytechnic Institute, vying for a position at a city school next year.
"It was so hot, so crowded, so demoralizing, very cattle-call-ish," recalled Gardiner, who has served as the English department leader at the school for the past eight years. "It was so humiliating; you just felt like you shouldn't be there, going after the same jobs as those new to the system, getting the same amount of feedback: 'We'll call you if we're interested.' "
Gardiner's experience highlights a growing concern in the district, as hundreds of teachers — a large number reported to be veterans —await word on whether they will enter a city classroom next year or enter a pool of certified educators who do not have a permanent placement.
Gardiner was among 700 teachers who attended the May 25 job fair, including dozens from Patterson, where 16 years of failing to meet state standards has led to an overhaul that includes replacing the principal.
The Baltimore Teachers Union has publicly voiced its concerns that teachers, particularly veterans, wouldn't be placed by the time of the June 30 deadline for the union contract.
Marietta English, president of the union, said she has challenged the policy of current teachers having to attend job fairs to find positions. She believes that the school system should place teachers where there are vacancies, particularly if the teachers are displaced by a district-level decision.
"This to me goes against the grain of recruit and retain," English said. "How do you retain if you are making them go through that horrible process every year? You should know what you are doing next year on June 17 [the last day of school] when you walk out of that door."
The job fairs are a result of the district's mutual consent policy, which requires that a principal and teacher agree to an assignment. The fairs have been a point of contention for the union, and the district said it would try a new approach, such as an online matching system for teachers and principals.
"The intent is for both of them to be of one mind of what the expectations are of the school," said Tisha Edwards, chief of staff for the school system. "Our principals want the opportunity to interview the staff, and make sure that they're the right fit and make sure they're going to be able to work together for the betterment of our children."
Edwards said the school system will not know the final number of teachers who will be displaced until mid-July, when individual school budgets are finalized.
Concern for veteran teachers
English said she is particularly concerned about veteran teachers — who usually make up the largest percentage of displaced teachers each year — having to repeatedly go through the same process they endured when they entered the system decades ago.
She said some city teachers have said they feel discriminated against because of their age — a concern that, if validated, the union said it would fight.
"I don't like the idea of a veteran teacher, who has great evaluations, going from place to place looking for a placement," English said. "If I was out here, I might feel myself that it is age discrimination."
The school system denied that it is targeting its veteran teachers.
"There is absolutely no truth to any belief that veteran teachers are not integral to our work," Edwards said. "It's about effectiveness and mission. We have many veteran teachers who exemplify effectiveness and dedication."
For the past three years, the district has carried more than 100 surplus teachers — certified teachers who have no permanent placements — at a cost of between $5 million to $7 million every year. School officials said the teachers have served as extra support staff, substitutes and co-teachers.
This year, 65 percent of the teachers in the city's surplus pool had more than 10 years of service, and 76 percent were deemed advanced professional, meaning they have a master's degree or the equivalent.
The district announced in February that in an effort to trim its surplus pool, it would offer early retirement packages for up to 750 teachers with more than a decade of experience.
