Reinstate Aurora Berger to her position as Art Teacher at Newton School

Aurora is a beloved member of the Strafford and Newton School Community. She grew up in Strafford and graduated from Newton. Then, after finding success developing her skill and passion for art, returned her to share her gifts with our children.

Aurora is an extraordinary teacher as well as an extraordinary artist. Her work has been displayed at the United Nations and the Kennedy Center. Her art has been awarded national honors including the Wynne Newhouse Award and VSA Emerging Young Artists Award by the Kennedy Center.

More importantly, she has changed perspectives and opened hearts and minds of many students at Newton who have found in Aurora’s art class a window into shared humanity and a balm for the wounds, whether large and small, in their own lives. For many students, Aurora was the first teacher to make art meaningful to them.

Aurora’s award-winning works, Life on the Line, and Restoration, include self-studies of her physical disability and how it manifests in her body. This work, as well as her entire art portfolio, is available on her website. At no time during her tenure, did Aurora show or talk about her portfolio with Newton students.

Nevertheless, Aurora was summarily terminated by the supervisory union after a an anonymous parent at the Mountain School complained about her art work–particularly a concern that children might see her artistic nudes.

The SU insists her termination was due to lack of licensing but she has complied with the requirements for licensing to-date; and her summary dismissal (without letting her complete the school year or even issue grades to students) is inconsistent with this technical rationale. This decision to suddenly remove Aurora was traumatic to her students. Losing their beloved teacher without explanation left them feeling abandoned.

• If you believe that Newton students deserve excellent art education please sign this petition to reinstate Aurora Berger as Newton’s Art Teacher.
• If you believe that Strafford and not the Supervisory Union or the Mountain School should determine who teaches at Newton School, please sign this petition to reinstate Aurora Berger as Newton’s Art Teacher.
• If you believe that the First Amendment protects an artist’s freedom of expression, please sign this petition to reinstate Aurora Berger as Newton’s Art Teacher.