MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT, NOVEMBER 2025 Now that the contract is settled, we will transition to focusing on other pressing issues. Aggressive behaviors by students toward other children and adults has been the most pressing and consistent issue that we’ve dealt with as a Union over the past eight years. Sometimes, students who show consistently aggressive and violent behaviors are special education students. While it is true that the law protects special education students with limitations of certain consequences than regular education students, the law does not preclude the District to act in a manner consistent with the Code of Conduct.

TAL hopes to work at both the local level (building principal and lead rep) as well as the Executive and Central Office level to remedy these issues as they arise, but we must recognize that we have a systemic problem that must be fixed.
  1. Special Education students have the right to be placed in the least restrictive program and placement that can appropriately help them progress.
  2. All students have the right to learn in a place where they feel safe and not threatened.
  3. And all adults in our schools: teachers, service providers, aides, priority substitutes, and administrators have the right to be safe.
This is not currently the case.

TAL, Central Administration, LASA and the Board of Education have the collective responsibility to ensure that we are doing everything we can to create this environment for everyone.

Until we collectively accomplish this goal, we are failing our students and faculty. Please stay tuned on how we will be asking everyone to be part of the solution.

In solidarity,
John Savastano