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Meeting report · Board of Education
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Board of Education — June 3, 2026

The meeting featured a spirited debate between union representatives and administration regarding job roles, training adequacy, and legal risks.

Date Wednesday, June 3, 2026 Duration 0.6h Speakers 13 Public comments 4 Decisions 1 Spirited
▶ Video

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

Special Education Staffing and Instructional Support

Potential reduction in specialized academic testing quality due to staffing shifts Affected: Students requiring special education services and bilingual support staff
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What was discussed

The meeting focused on whether the district could legally mandate that bilingual school psychologists take over academic testing duties previously handled by special education teachers to address staffing shortages. The SEA presented evidence of prior agreements, while the administration maintained these duties fall under existing job descriptions.

What happened

The subcommittee voted unanimously to deny the SEA grievance.

What's next

A written opinion from the subcommittee will be provided to the parties involved.

service reduction

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Denial of the SEA grievance regarding changes in working conditions for school psychologists.
The subcommittee motioned to deny the grievance presented by the SEA.
3 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstentions

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
▶ 00:00 SEA Grievance Hearing: Changes in Working Conditions for School Psychologists

The Stamford Education Association (SEA) filed a grievance alleging that school psychologists, specifically bilingual staff, are being required to perform academic testing that was previously the responsibility of special education teachers without proper negotiation or training.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
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What was discussed

The SEA argued that directing bilingual school psychologists to conduct academic testing constitutes a unilateral change in working conditions and that staff feel unqualified and undertrained for this specific task. The administration countered that psychologists are trained to administer various standardized assessments and that this duty falls under the existing job description to evaluate cognitive abilities and learning styles. The SEA also presented new evidence in the form of emails and meeting minutes suggesting that the district had previously acknowledged testing was the responsibility of resource teachers.

What happened

After reviewing supplemental documents and deliberating in executive session, the subcommittee voted unanimously to deny the grievance.

What's next

A written opinion from the subcommittee will be provided within the required timeframe.

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

SEA Grievance: School Psychologist Working Conditions

The Stamford Education Association (SEA) alleges that the district is unilaterally changing working conditions by requiring bilingual school psychologists to perform academic testing. This is contested because the SEA claims staff are undertrained and that this role was historically held by special education teachers, while the administration argues these duties are already within the psychologists' job descriptions.
Board position: The board sided with the administration, voting to deny the grievance.
high concern

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Provide a written opinion regarding the grievance denial.
Assigned: Subcommittee · Due: Within the required timeframe
Send supplemental emails and statements to board members.
Assigned: John (a speaker) · Due: Immediately following the meeting

Notable ⁠statements

The issue is... we can't dictate what the board of ed does for job descriptions... we negotiate the change in the working conditions of that. — Speaker D (John) · Arguing that while the Board can change job descriptions, they must negotiate the impact on working conditions. ▶ 38:40
If that person can't administer an academic assessment, then I have real concerns about this person being a psychologist in the district. — Speaker F (Mike) · Responding to the claim that school psychologists are not qualified or trained to perform academic testing. ▶ 22:15

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
4
Total speakers
4
Addressed
4
Partial
0
Not addressed
Guy Simone
▶ 00:46
Partial
He explains that school psychologists, particularly bilingual ones, are being directed to perform academic testing that was historically the duty of special education teachers. He argues this constitutes a change in working conditions that should have been negotiated with the association. Key concern
Unilateral change in working conditions regarding academic testing duties for school psychologists.
Board response
The board (acting as a grievance subcommittee) listened to the arguments and then moved into executive session to deliberate.
The board held a formal grievance hearing to address the concern, but ultimately voted to deny the grievance, meaning the requested remedy was not granted.
Sharon
▶ 02:35
Partial
She elaborates on the grievance, noting that the district is shifting testing duties to bilingual staff due to hiring shortages in special education. She highlights that staff feel unqualified and undertrained for these specific academic assessments, posing a potential legal risk to the district. Key concern
Staff lack appropriate training for new testing duties and the district is bypassing negotiation for changes in job roles.
Board response
The board listened to the testimony and requested clarification on the specific remedy sought.
The board processed the grievance through the official hearing procedure but denied the association's claim.
Mike (Dr. Fernandez/Administration Representative)
▶ 11:33
Partial
Representing the administration, he argues that the grievance is without merit because academic assessment falls within the existing job description of a psychologist. He maintains that psychologists are trained to administer standardized assessments and that this is a reasonable management directive. Key concern
The administration's position that the duties are already covered by job descriptions and do not constitute a change in working conditions.
Board response
The board heard the administration's rebuttal and used it in their deliberation.
The board considered the administration's side and ultimately ruled in favor of the administration by denying the grievance.
Unidentified speaker
▶ 17:15
Partial
He provides a rebuttal to the administration, stating that the employee (Melissa) distinguishes between cognitive/thinking style assessments and actual academic testing. He argues the latter is a different scope of work than what she was hired for. Key concern
The distinction between cognitive evaluation and academic testing expertise.
Board response
The board listened to the distinction between the two types of testing.
The board deliberated on the merits of this distinction but ultimately sided with the administration's interpretation.
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Report composed by grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning, grok-4-fast · analyzed 2026-06-10.