Pappas Rehab supporters protest teacher job cuts
By Canton Citizen
Protesters hold signs outside of Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children. (Mary Ann Price photo)
Members and supporters of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 509 gathered in front of the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton last week to protest the elimination of three special education teaching positions at the school.
Formerly the Mass. Hospital School, Pappas is owned and operated by the commonwealth and serves children and young adults with multiple disabilities. The cuts, implemented by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, were reportedly due to the declining student population at the school. Local 509 organizers, however, contend that the reductions will “negatively impact student safety and the quality of education and services that Pappas students rely on.”
State Rep. Bill Galvin of Canton, a longtime supporter of the school, also voiced his disappointment with the reductions and urged DESE to reconsider its decision in a letter to Commissioner Jeffrey Riley.
“Cutting teaching positions will impact the educational opportunities for these students and could potentially hurt the stellar reputation of the school,” Galvin wrote. “I understand the desire to save money, but I am very concerned that DESE is comfortable cutting these positions at the risk of harming these vulnerable students.”
For more information about the protest effort as well as a link to a petition calling on the jobs to be reinstated, go to facebook.com/events/346603839383212.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=57808
Posted by Canton Citizen
on Jun 22 2019. Filed under News.
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