Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 4/25/2023
WEST SPRINGFIELD — There have been four school superintendents in West Springfield during the past four years, but Stefania Raschilla said she intends to stay for many years once she takes the helm as superintendent May 1.
“I’m not someone who jumps from district to district,” said Raschilla, who succeeds interim Superintendent Vito Perrone.
Indeed, this will be her first time changing school districts since she began her education career in Springfield as an elementary teacher in 1999. She has worked in a variety of administrative positions in that city, including as chief instructional officer for the past six years.
“I’ve done 24 years in the Springfield’s public schools — it’s the only district that I’ve worked in,” Rachilla said.
“So as long as the community, the School Committee and the staff are happy with my work — and my evaluations are good — I plan to stay for the remainder of my career. And I still have quite a few years to work,” said Raschilla, who will start with a three-year contract that runs until June 30, 2026.
Raschilla’s beginning salary is $175,000, which will be prorated and will remain at that annual rate for the 2023-24 school year. For the 2024-25 school year, Raschilla will receive a 3% salary increase, provided she receives an overall evaluation rating of proficient or better. Following her 2024-25 school year evaluation, Raschilla and the School Committee will negotiate a salary for the final year of her contract.
The East Longmeadow native said she applied for the superintendent’s position because the district’s smaller size and its diverse immigrant population appealed to her.
Even though it has a city form of government, she said, West Springfield still has the feel of a small town. There are about 4,000 students in its public schools, which Raschilla said is a “pretty good-sized district,” but not the 25,000 students of a large city like Springfield.
Raschilla said West Springfield is the first and only district where she applied for the top education position.
In Springfield she was a reading specialist, a reading director, an elementary principal and a middle school assistant principal prior to becoming the chief instructional officer. In her last position, Raschilla worked directly with the superintendent and was in charge of curriculum, pre-K to grade 12 professional development, as well as all evaluations.
“I felt like I had experiences at all different grade levels and was now ready to apply to be a superintendent,” she said. “There were multiple opportunities in different districts, but I only applied to West Springfield, because of its small-town feel.”
One of her first priorities will be to create something West Springfield lacks: a strategic plan. It would be developed with input from the community, including business partners, teachers, students, families, religious groups and other town departments.
“I want to make sure everyone in the community who wants to be part of this plan has a voice in it. I want to hear what their expectations are for our students that could be incorporated into the plan,” she said.
Another priority would be to use any additional funding from the state’s new “millionaires tax” to expand pre-K. She said it’s extremely important students and families have the opportunity for a pre-K experience.
“Kindergarten has become a lot more challenging, with all the standards that children are expected to know prior to going into first grade,” said Raschilla.
She said a pre-K experience — especially if children have the numeracy and the phonics and the phonemic awareness — would make it much easier for students and families in kindergarten.
“I’m really passionate about pre-K for students and their families. But it also comes with funding and space issues.”
Raschilla, who has experience working with English language learners and students with disabilities, said moving the English learners currently concentrated at Coburn School to their neighborhood schools could open space at the newly built school for a future pre-K program.
“Coburn has an early childhood program that runs four days a week for half-days. So if we have the opportunity in the funding to provide additional teachers, there’s an opportunity to add classrooms there,” said Raschilla.
She said the earliest this move could occur would be the 2024-25 school year, since the School Committee has already approved the budget for the 2023-24 school year.
Not all students would move, since there are specific programs that may make it necessary for some to stay at Coburn. But she said the majority of students from outside the Coburn neighborhood — if there is space available in their buildings — would move back to their neighborhood schools.
Achievement in focus
Raschilla also wants to focus on increasing student achievement.
“We want students to be graduating from West Springfield High School with the knowledge to be able to select their career path. If students choose to go to college, to go into the military, or to go down a career path, it’s important they have all the information they need to make those decisions,” she said.
Raschilla also wants to tackle the student mental health issue. She said prior to COVID-19, there were counseling shortages that have become even greater because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Raschilla said social-emotional needs of students must be met for them to be successful academically. She said there needs to be safety nets in place for students to achieve at their highest potential.
“We need to think about what partnerships don’t already exist in the community that can be formed to support those types of needs. Students are in school for so many hours a day and sometimes there are additional resources out there that families may need help in finding,” she said.
Raschilla said one of her biggest challenges is one facing all superintendents in the wake of a wave of school shootings across the country: safety.
“We’re always looking at safety. We want to always make sure our students and staff are safe. We want to make sure we follow procedure protocols and have the technology that’s necessary to keep everyone as safe as possible,” she said.
Raschilla said that for the past several weeks she’s visited some West Springfield’s schools to listen to administrators, teachers and parents. She also has talked with staff at the central office and School Committee members to get everyone’s opinions on district needs.
“I’m not looking to come in and make any drastic changes,” said Raschilla. “I’ve had the opportunity to see teachers in action, but when you’re teaching, you don’t really have the opportunity to speak to me. So, my plan is to visit each school when there’s a staff meeting.”
She also believes PTOs are valuable to schools.
“Parents that have the opportunity and availability to join, do join, I know some of them are really good at fundraising to get the extra things students are looking for. PTOs are there to support schools and to plan those family events. Families want to feel included and PTOs are one way they can be welcomed in schools,” she said.
Raschilla, who lives in Longmeadow, said she has loved going to school ever since she was in kindergarten. She also said there were some “wonderful teachers” whom she still remembers vividly. Because of positive school experiences she pursued a degree in elementary education.
“I’ve always loved children. And it’s the career path I took just from loving going to school so much,” said Raschilla.