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Date: 3/10/2021
CHICOPEE – The Chicopee School Committee met to discuss students returning to in-person learning and to vote on possible salary raises on March 3. In February, Chicopee began the transition into hybrid learning with cohorts. Now, Commissioner of Education Jeffrey Riley is pushing for students in grades Pre-K through 5 to fully return to classrooms by April. The decision has not yet been voted on, but School Committee members asked Superintendent Lynn Clark if Chicopee schools would be prepared for the switch.
Clark said that if Pre-K through 5 does go back to school full-time, parents can still choose to keep their children remote through the end of the year. She also reiterated the fact that this change wouldn’t apply to children in middle school or high school.
“It’s just elementary students right now,” she said.
Clark said it is unclear if the city could apply for a waiver and choose not to bring kids back full-time. She said she won’t know much more until the Department of Secondary Education votes on this switch, which occurred at a later date on March 5.
Since the School Committee meeting, on March 5, the Board of Education voted to grant Commissioner of Education Jeffrey Riley the authority to determine if a district’s remote and/or hybrid learning will count toward required learning time. The vote was 8 to 3. Locally, Michael Moriarty of Holyoke was in favor. Moriarty is the only Western Massachusetts representative on the board.
A majority of Chicopee’s elementary buildings are equipped to fit all kids in the classroom and still abide by the 6-foot distancing rule, according to Clark. She said there are only about one to two buildings where they might have to go to four or five feet instead. Clark also spoke on how she does understand why this switch might be helpful for both the younger students and their teachers.
“Being an early childhood teacher, Pre-K to 3, I certainly understand what they’re saying when they say it’s like having two Mondays because the break on Wednesday is difficult,” she said.
Clark emphasized that sometimes the younger kids have “jet lag to remember the rules” when it comes to the mid-week transition from in-person learning to remote learning on a computer or vice versa.
Earlier in the meeting, President of the Chicopee Education Association, Laura Demakis, emphasized this point of how hard it is for both teachers and students to adjust to hybrid. She said that teachers are happy to be back, but many are struggling. She spoke on how essential it is to bring paraprofessionals back to the classrooms for these younger kids, especially if they end up going back full time.
According to Demakis, many teachers are feeling burnout and some are even thinking of potential career switches.
“They appreciate your empathy, they really do, but what we really want is an understanding of our reality,” she said.
Demakis asked School Committee members to take the time to come into a classroom of younger kids and see what goes on to then figure out solutions to some of their problems.
School Committee member James Tanhauser voiced his opinion on the potential switch from hybrid to in-person.
“I would just hope that we keep being the leaders we are in Chicopee,” he said. “Let’s do what’s best for Chicopee and not necessarily other outside pressures.”
The committee also voted on possible salary raises, which has been a topic of controversy in the city.
A recent independent study done through the Human Resources Department recommended that the School Committee salary go up from $6,000 to $7,500 per member. In a City Council meeting on March 2, the council voted to not give themselves a raise. According to the School Committee, it is typical that they make half of what a City Councilor does.
“I would be opposed to raising the salary from $6,000 to whatever they indicated at this time. I think, and I was at the City Council meeting last night, I think they made some good arguments in regards to not accepting the recommendation and at this point I would be opposed to a raise for the Chicopee School Committee,” said School Committee Member Mary Elizabeth Pniak-Costello. “At this time, the taxpayers are very generous to us and I’m thankful to them, but I don’t think we should take the course of getting the raise as recommended.”
Many other School Committee members voiced their opinion that now, during a pandemic, is not the right time for a raise.
“This is not the proper time for this. There are many, many people out of work in our city struggling. I just feel as a taxpayer out there that people would not be happy with this,” said David Schryver.
Tanhauser agreed with both Pniak-Costello and Schryver, even calling the conversation in general “short-sighted.”
“Extremely short-sighted to have this discussion for any level of elected official right now, not just us, not just City Council, whoever. I just feel like it’s terrible timing. I know the raises, especially for the mayor, were something that has been discussed for years and it’s something I’m in favor of. I do believe our mayor deserves a higher salary, however, just terrible timing. This is a conversation that easily should’ve been tabled,” he said.
After a vote, the salary raises did not pass. There were nine no votes and only School Committee Member Chester Szetela voted yes. Mayor John Vieau abstained from voting on the raises.
Clark made a point to inform the public that all educators as well as school staff members will be able to start getting their COVID-19 vaccine on March 11. This was recently announced during a press conference from Gov. Charlie Baker.
Those interested in viewing the School Committee meeting in its entirety are encouraged to visit the ChicopeeTV Facebook page.