Wave of resignations of St. Dominic teachers brings pressure to bear on Catholic School Board

GREAT BAY--A wave of resignations has shaken the staff of St. Dominic High and Elementary Schools, as multiple teachers have chosen to leave the institution citing persistent mismanagement, lack of transparency, and mistreatment by the Foundation Catholic Education St. Maarten (SKOS). Their resignations come with calls for a change of board to safeguard the core principles of the school and education of its students.

At least 8 teachers have resigned from the elementary and secondary school levels, en-masse, raising serious concerns about the upcoming school year 2025-2026. In interviews with The People's Tribune, several outgoing teachers described an environment that had become professionally and personally untenable. A surprising development from an institution that, until lately, has had a stellar reputation.

According to educators, one of the key tipping points for their resignation was the absence of a functional and qualified management structure for the upcoming 2024–2025 academic year. “No official school manager or assistant was appointed,” one teacher stated. “Instead, a leadership team consisting of three teachers was selected without transparency. There has been ongoing doubt among staff regarding the team’s capacity to lead.”

The staff cited these individuals’ lack of accountability, poor leadership skills, and reluctance to take on meaningful responsibility, despite receiving additional compensation, as major concerns. Compounding the issue was what several teachers viewed as the symbolic erosion of the school’s identity: “Most troubling is the appointment of a person who does not observe the Catholic faith to lead a Catholic institution.”

Staff further described a culture of exclusion and favoritism perpetuated by both the school’s leadership and SKOS. “We were excluded from decision-making processes. Meetings were infrequent, and crucial decisions were often communicated too late for any meaningful input,” another educator shared. “Only certain staff voices were heard. The rest were systematically ignored.”

The impact of this culture extended to student morale and performance. Teachers reported that students had become increasingly disengaged, with some transferring mid-year. “The leadership’s inability to offer emotional or academic support has created a climate in which students and teachers alike feel silenced and disconnected.”

The situation, they argued, was not new, but had significantly deteriorated in the past academic year. “While some issues have existed for years, they escalated significantly this past year due to the dysfunction of the newly appointed leadership team,” one teacher told The People's Tribune. “These problems are systemic and not confined to St. Dominic alone.”

Educators noted that previous management had made meaningful strides in rebuilding trust and improving school culture. However, SKOS failed to retain that team despite their success. “Their resignation, despite their positive impact, was not prevented or addressed. This pattern has had damaging long-term effects.”

Beyond administrative failures, the resigning teachers listed a series of structural and cultural problems, including outdated policies, a lack of appreciation, an unfair pension system, and bureaucratic hurdles that discouraged qualified foreign teachers from staying. They also criticized the “top-down decision-making model that contradicts the board’s stated values of collaboration,” and described a workplace in which educators were “treated as nameless, faceless entities.”

Teachers confirmed that they had raised concerns with SKOS over time but said that the board routinely deflected or ignored them. “While staff were encouraged to provide honest feedback, doing so often resulted in negative consequences, such as being treated differently or threatened,” one teacher said. “Administrative errors were overlooked, while minor mistakes by teachers were documented and used as leverage.”

According to staff, even emails often went unanswered. “Leadership and SKOS consistently presented themselves as unaware of ongoing issues. Staff contributions were overlooked unless they directly benefitted the administration,” one teacher explained.

The lack of transparency from SKOS, especially on matters such as payroll and salary standards, was cited as a major factor in declining morale. “Even basic courtesies, like expressing concern when staff are unwell, are not extended uniformly,” one educator said. “Staff relationships have deteriorated to the point where many now limit their interactions to class time only.”

Asked what changes might have convinced them to stay, teachers pointed to a complete overhaul of leadership and culture. They called for a “competent, faith-aligned school manager,” “genuine transparency and open communication,” and “a respectful separation between personal life and professional expectations.” They also demanded an HR department capable of managing personnel matters with professionalism and consistency.

“The cumulative burden became unsustainable,” one teacher said. “Continued involvement in such a deteriorating situation posed a risk not only to professional integrity but also to personal wellbeing.”

Educators described SKOS as rigid, reactive, and more focused on control than on collaboration. “Without significant reflection and reform, ideally rooted in humility and genuine service, the institution will remain out of touch with the community it claims to serve,” said one teacher. “The current approach, unfortunately, resembles a corporate entity focused on profit over purpose.”

The message from those who resigned is consistent: SKOS must acknowledge its failings and take urgent corrective action or step down. Until then, the foundation’s schools' risk further instability, at the cost of the very educators and students they claim to support.

SKOS was contacted by The Peoples' Tribune to offer comment but has thus far not responded.

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