Staff within the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District have begun a “work-to-rule” initiative, which limits their work strictly to contracted hours. Although this is not a formal strike, this initiative means limited after-school tutoring, no volunteering work, and even no emails to students outside of school hours.

From a student perspective, the impact is monumental. As the junior class president and a very involved student within my school community, I decided to speak out about the situation at the school committee meeting on Wednesday, February 4th.

Last semester, I would wake up early to attend extra help in the morning. Honestly, it made a real difference. There were many afternoons when I couldn’t make it to extra help sessions because of a club or other responsibilities. Those early morning help sessions gave me guidance and strengthened my confidence to feel good moving forward. It was not just support. It was the difference between struggling alone and actually learning.

As AP exams are approaching soon, students enrolled in AP exams are facing difficult choices: attend after-school help for current classes to keep up or focus on AP exam prep with teachers? In addition, when I am at home doing homework, I am unable to simply email for guidance as I once did, leaving me stranded when questions arise.

However, the impact of this initiative goes far beyond academics. Teachers are often the ones who volunteer for clubs, fundraisers, and community events. For example, the annual student vs. faculty basketball game in March. The sophomore and junior classes should be planning that fundraiser right now, but with the work-to-rule in effect, this opportunity is no longer available to students.

Teachers do so much for students both inside and outside of the classroom. I didn’t realize how much teachers do for their students outside of the contract hours until I experienced it firsthand. And once I saw it, I understood just how much of our learning, confidence, and school experience depends on that time. Their support fosters learning, mentorship, and leadership within students. As I told the committee, “When teacher support is limited, student opportunity is limited.”