Winthrop School Committee enters executive session amid teacher contract standoff

WINTHROP -- February 9, 2026, Winthrop teachers and educational support professionals flooded a School Committee meeting to demand settlement of a contract now more than 200 days overdue. Dozens of current and former Winthrop Public Schools employees filled the Harvey Kering Room at Town Hall on February 9 to tell the six-member committee that Winthrop ranks at or near the bottom of North Shore educator pay scales, that its parental leave policy is inadequate, and that staff are leaving for better-paying neighboring districts at a damaging rate. Jason Durkee, a 16-year Winthrop resident and teacher, said the district has been "the lowest paid educators on the North Shore" for years, while special education teacher Catherine Chichera warned that poverty-level ESP wages risk leaving the district unable to fulfill legally mandated IEP services. Former WHS teacher DJ Reset told the committee he and his wife each now earn more than 15 percent above their Winthrop salaries, and that his salary increase nearly exactly covers his son's daily childcare costs. The committee approved three payroll and operating warrants totaling more than $2.1 million before voting unanimously to enter executive session on collective bargaining strategy.