Over 200 Brookline school faculty gathered in the Roberts-Dubbs Auditorium on Monday, March 28 to discuss the Brookline Educators Union’s next steps in response to the School Committee’s rejection of a BEU proposal.

According to President of the BEU Jessica Wender-Shubow, the BEU proposed the formation of a committee of teachers and administrators, whose actions would be made public to parents and students and which would discuss workloads and other initiatives that the district would potentially try to implement.

“They rejected any committee that would actually give the teachers any power on the committee,” Wender-Shubow said. “It’s that simple.”

Runkle teacher Dale Cramer said that although the School Committee has not been responsive to the demands of the BEU, the BEU still has a clear goal.

“Our next steps are just to make sure that we do whatever we can to gain the support of the community without hurting the education of the students,” Cramer said.

Heath teacher Kathleen O’Connell also recognizes the community that the BEU has helped mobilized.

“I feel like the BEU, and what we’re doing this year, has allowed teachers to voice concerns that everybody has been talking about individually in their classrooms, and finally, I think that we’re talking about it more as one voice, of some of the things that are eating away at our ability to do our jobs well,” O’Connell said. “It’s nice that that’s something we’re at least talking about now and bringing forth, and we’re trying to make the School Committee take a little bit more seriously.”

According to Wender-Shubow, the BEU has organized some future steps as action, such as a protest outside of the high school during the Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast and a plan to distribute lawn signs around the town in support of the BEU. The BEU also plans to communicate with parents.

“Hopefully the School Committee will remember that they are elected and accountable to the voters,” Wender Shubow said. “I hope that will make a difference.”