Grand Rapids Teacher Resigns Amid Staffing Crisis

News Summary

Malori Salamango, a resource teacher at Grand Rapids Public Schools, has resigned due to increased pressure and inadequate support. Her departure highlights ongoing issues of teacher wages and staffing shortages, with GRPS facing numerous vacancies. Salamango’s resignation comes during protests for higher salaries as the district struggles to retain educators. Teachers express concerns over their overwhelming workloads, which are affecting their ability to provide quality education. The situation calls for urgent reform to address these systemic challenges within the school district.

Grand Rapids – Malori Salamango, a resource teacher at Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS), has announced her resignation amid ongoing protests regarding insufficient teacher wages and significant staff shortages within the district. Salamango, who has dedicated the past two years to helping students with disabilities at Southwest Elementary School – Academia Bilingue, made her resignation known during a GRPS Board of Education meeting on May 12. Her departure highlights continuing systemic issues within the school district that are contributing to teacher dissatisfaction and increased vacancies.

Salamango stated that the pressure placed on teachers is detrimental to their well-being and directly contributes to high turnover rates. She expressed her deep concern for the education and welfare of her students, indicating that she felt unable to continue in a role that was becoming increasingly untenable due to an overwhelming workload and lack of support. In recent months, she had seen her caseload increase beyond state-mandated limits, which require a maximum of 20 students in resource classrooms. Her responsibilities, which entail developing individualized education programs (IEPs) that often demand hundreds of instructional minutes per week per student, became unsustainable.

The district currently faces a staggering total of 87.9 teacher vacancies, with approximately one-third of these openings in special education and another 31% in elementary positions. While GRPS has begun onboarding around 20 new teacher candidates, this effort has yet to substantially alleviate ongoing staffing issues. The urgency for resolving these shortages is underscored by the fact that the current three-year contract with the district’s teachers is set to expire next month.

Prior to Salamango’s resignation, members of the Grand Rapids Education Association (GREA) had gathered to protest for higher wages. They are seeking a salary increase of 7.5%, while the district has responded with considerably lower offers, which include an additional 1.5% raise on top of previously negotiated increases. GRPS ranks last amongst public school districts in Kent County regarding average teacher salaries, according to GREA President Matt Marlow.

Despite the pressing need for reform, GRPS Board President Kymberlie Davis emphasized the need to balance teacher pay with the district’s budget constraints. In January, Salamango reported significant issues within her workload, noting a caseload that grew from 21 students to 25, which far exceeded state limits. These kind of pressures have driven some teachers to express their frustrations publicly regarding the administration’s support and commitment to their working conditions.

Members of the GREA have voiced concerns over the district’s perceived failure to adequately support educators, particularly about their workload and compensation during negotiations. Furthermore, GRPS has acknowledged that the current state of teacher vacancies, which reached 159.7 in May 2024, reflects long-standing problems with retention and a possible need for reassessment of financial management and expenditure priorities.

As Salamango leaves her position, she reiterates the urge for systemic change that recognizes the vital contributions of teachers and the importance of adequate staffing levels in ensuring effective educational delivery. Teachers have expressed the stark reality they face in the classroom, often feeling as though they are managing responsibilities meant for multiple roles without proper resources or compensation. The ongoing issues within GRPS serve as a clear signal that without significant attention to these challenges, the district risks losing more of its dedicated teaching staff, further jeopardizing the educational experience of its students.

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HERE Resources

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Northview High School Principal Resigns Amid Leadership Changes

Additional Resources

• MLive: Grand Rapids Teacher Publicly Resigns
• Wikipedia: Teacher Burnout
• MLive: Grand Rapids Teachers Union Protests
• Google Search: Education Teacher Union Protests
• Big Rapids News: Morley-Stanwood Education Board Approval
• Google Scholar: Teacher Salary Protests
• Fox17: Parents and Teachers Criticize GRPS Board
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Public School