WINOOSKI — Members of the teachers’ union have called for the removal of a Winooski High School principal, citing a recent staff survey and vote of no confidence.
Ninety percent of the licensed staff at the high school participated in a survey conducted by the Winooski Education Association and voted 29-2 indicating a lack of trust in Co-Principal Jean Berthiaume’s leadership, according to union leaders.
Two union leaders announced the survey and the subsequent vote of no confidence at the May 14 school board meeting and demanded “drastic action.”
The survey data does not represent “a passing discomfort” or “a vocal minority,” said John McKelvy, secretary of the Winooski Education Association, reading from a prepared statement on behalf of Jacie Barber, the union president. “Rather, they respond to ever unfolding transgressions, a deterioration of trust and an undermining of systems.”
The overwhelming vote further indicates that the relationship between Berthiaume and the high school staff is “irrevocably broken,” he added, in a way that “no amount of restructuring, reassignment of duties or new titles” can fix.
The survey was supported by the Vermont-National Education Association. Data was collected anonymously, and questions were modeled on the state Agency of Education standards by which the principal is evaluated, said Annie Schneider, vice president of the Winooski Education Association, who spoke at the meeting on behalf of the high school staff.
When presented with this data, she said members said the only way forward is for Berthiaume to be removed as the high school principal. She said staff members responded firmly in the negative to the question: Do you have confidence that Jean Berthiaume can be an effective leader of Winooski High School?
“Today I’m telling you very clearly that this vote represents the voices of the overwhelming majority — 29-2 is definitive. We have no confidence in our administrator and our ask is that he no longer works here,” Schneider said, reading from a prepared statement. “We are not here to cause unnecessary harm or pain to our principal, but he has caused harm to our staff and our school, and we are asking you, the board, to step in and help rectify the situation.”
Union leaders did not present the full survey and declined to comment beyond the statements read at the meeting. They said in their speeches the union first raised concerns with former superintendent Sean McMannon in June 2022, but they were never addressed. McMannon did not respond to an email seeking comment.
The two statements read at the meeting also spoke of continued issues, including low morale, challenging working conditions, a breakdown of systems and negative outcomes for students and staff.
Berthiaume, who was recognized by the Vermont Principals’ Association as one of the 2024-25 school leaders of the year, said in an email to VTDigger this week that he was “surprised and blindsided by this vote, especially given the lack of any substantive concerns or feedback tied directly to my job performance.”
Berthiaume was previously principal at Fayston Elementary School and associate principal at Harwood Union Middle School and High School. He was hired in Winooski in July 2019 and draws a salary of $127,920, according to Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria.
As co-principal at Winooski Middle and High School, Berthiaume shares the position with Kate Grodin. Grodin did not respond to a request for comment.
Robert Millar, chair of the six-member Winooski School Board, read a statement at the meeting submitted by high school teacher Ben Patrick in support of Berthiaume’s leadership.
Patrick’s letter called Berthiaume “a skilled, compassionate and versatile administrator” and “an invaluable resource and advocate for students.” He alleged “a counterproductive herd mentality” led to the survey and vote, and he urged the board to be “wary” of charges made against the principal.
For years Winooski has struggled with unmet critical learning goals, and Patrick’s letter stated he has seen how that frustration has often been unfairly directed at the administration.
“We share a collective responsibility for our inability to fully prepare students for life after high school, and blaming one individual for these systemic challenges is a misdirection,” the letter stated.
Chavarria wrote in an email to VTDigger he is unable to comment on personnel issues. He shared the two statements submitted by the union to the School Board.
The School Board, via a brief emailed statement, said they appreciate staff feedback but made clear that it is the superintendent who is responsible for the hiring and evaluation of administrative roles in the school system.
The three-sentence statement does not address the vote nor the union’s demand. It ends saying, “The Board is confident that all policies and procedures have been followed appropriately to date.”
In his email, Chavarria urged the matter be handled with “care and consideration.”
“They are all my staff, teachers and admin and they all work so hard,” he wrote.
Berthiaume wrote in his email, “Leadership requires making tough decisions, many of which are not always popular in the short term. Still, I am proud and stand by the progress we’ve made. There are clear indicators of success in our students’ experiences and outcomes, and I remain committed to the work ahead.”
