Part Time Teachers

By: Gracie Roberts

Currently, in the 2024-25 school year, Portland High School has three teachers who teach in part-time positions. Cindy Laverty, Michelle Ignatowicz, and Ryan Ott. Laverty and Ignatowicz work here on a .6 position and Ott works on a .5 position. Full time teachers are considered a 1.0. A full time teacher is able to teach up to 10 classes a year, but that number varies depending on their specific subject and how long the classes they teach extend for. A .6 position can be only 6 classes a year, again depending on which classes are contained and if they are full year or half year courses. 

Laverty, who was part time when her children were young, loved having the benefit of some extra time in the morning to help her two girls get ready for the day. Not every part of a half-day schedule is relaxing or full of leisure; it also includes a very likely possibility of coming face to face with financial hardships. 

Laverty has been at Portland for a decade now, she started as a .5 teacher and at that point that was ideal for her. Laverty ended up falling in love with teaching here, and luckily for her it was at this point the state of Connecticut changed the graduation requirement for health education from half a credit to a full credit, which bumped her up to a full time position. This became official in 2021 and she stayed full time until 2023. 

Laverty loved this position, she developed a new program for her courses and by now both her daughters were old enough to not need any help in the morning. At the end of the 2024 school year, Laverty received notice about the budget cuts Portland was undergoing and one of which included bringing her back down to a .5 position. Laverty said she felt confused, as it didn’t really make sense why they would do this when she still had so many classes to teach. Their solution was to create larger class sizes, less offerings, and additionally use the middle school teacher to teach some of the high school classes.

The budget process started around January of 2024, when the town learned what the superintendent proposed, and they worked with it from there to design the best possible decision. When Laverty was first told she would become part time, she was also informed this position would only remain that way for one year. 

For Laverty, this would be okay, and she said that she could pull this off financially with her family, but only really for one year. In December of this year, Laverty discovered that they weren’t planning to bring her back to full time after that year, they were planning to bring her to a .8 position. For her family, with two kids going to college, the income decrease that comes with this position wouldn’t allow Laverty to live comfortably. Unfortunately, at this point Laverty was faced with the decision of trying to fight for a full-time position or having to leave. This was understandably upsetting for her, especially considering her circumstances where she grew up here, was born and raised here, still lives here now and her kids have been in this school system her whole life as well. 

“I am so invested in this district and this town for so many reasons, so it almost felt like my home was being taken from me and I had no control.” Laverty explained. While some teachers may look at the benefits of a part time position, they should also consider the negative impact this might very likely have on not just a teacher, but that teacher’s family. 

Laverty planned to fight for a full-time position by emphasizing the importance of a quality health education for students, which should also be taught by someone who is experienced. She pointed out that by keeping the position part time, they risked losing an experienced teacher who built this entire health program, and as we all know, is an extremely loved and appreciated teacher here at Portland. She also explained how in this time period finances and money are tight, so one of the ways to save money in schools is to hire new teachers who are lower on the pay scale, and often this can also mean a less experienced teacher. Laverty was not looking down upon a teacher being new because she agrees that everyone has to start somewhere, however she also believes that Health contains a number of not just sensitive, but relatable and extremely important topics such as suicide awareness/mental health and sex education. 

The meeting with the Board of Education definitely shifted their decision, and Laverty says she is thankful that “it created a conversation I was never able to speak up for in the past.” She also said that the students talking at this meeting made her feel seen, loved and cared for, and appreciated. Portland junior Euince Ngunjiri and former student Noah Decker spoke in support of the teacher, and Laverty said that if that experience with those students had to be her last experience and feeling at Portland High School, that would have been okay with her. 

Ignatowicz, an art teacher here who calls herself a morning person, comes to Portland at 9:45 a.m. from West Hartford, about a 30-minute commute. Next year, Ignatowicz is looking forward to becoming full time and introducing an AP Art course to the school. While there can be some positive parts about a part-time schedule, like the ability to take care of your children and send them off to school in the morning, Ignatowicz says that she would prefer a full-time schedule and loves being at Portland High. She adores the students and her job working with them, attended the Board of Education meeting as well to support and encourage a transition to full time next year. 

On Monday, May 12, the town voted to support the overall town budget which includes many things, one being the Board of Education budget. This budget vote passed, and in terms of the board they need to approve that budget so they can pass it on to the first selectman which then can turn into a vote. Laverty will now be able to become a multidimensional teacher, who can teach more than just health classes. Next year, Mrs. Laverty will run an Advanced Fitness and P.E. course which allows students to use the weight room, which was recently redone. Laverty plans to focus this course on setting students up for a lifetime of fitness that they can enjoy and feel good about doing. While history teacher Ott will keep his schedule the same for now, Laverty and Ignaotwicz look forward to becoming full time positions and to introduce new classes next year.