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Date: 8/17/2021
CHICOPEE – Marjorie Wojcik, longtime School Committee member for Chicopee’s Ward 3, has officially retired. The retirement, which was effective Aug. 1, ended Wojcik’s 36-year career on the Chicopee School Committee.
Wojcik began her involvement with the Chicopee Public Schools as a concerned parent. According to Wojcik, she had children in the schools, and she had issues with the way they were being run.
“I didn’t like the way the school was running. It needed some changes, some modern changes. I just didn’t like the way it was going, so I started paying attention to the school system, watching what they were doing and following up on it,” she said.
Wojcik was involved with Special Education initially, as she had a child enrolled in those classes.
“I didn’t like the way that was going, so that’s how I got involved in the school system,” she added.
Her involvement with the schools eventually prompted her to run for School Committee. She was elected as the Ward 3 representative in November 1985.
Looking back at her time on the School Committee, Wojcik said she is proud of the change she and her fellow colleagues were able to enact.
“Myself and the board members that were on there, we made some substantial changes that helped kids,” she said. “A lot of kids are doing well; graduation is well and everything else – and that was the goal.”
She said that throughout her time on the School Committee she has enjoyed meeting students, staff and parents.
“I think my favorite part was getting to know everybody and understanding the difficulties that they had with educating the kids. I understood it and got to know the school system a lot better than what I knew prior to that,” said Wojcik.
Wojcik said that she knew it was time to retire because of how tired she was.
“I was honestly getting tired. I didn’t mind helping people, I didn’t mind helping teachers, I didn’t mind helping anybody, but it got to a point where I got very tired and I said this is it, I’ve got to retire,” said Wojcik.
She said she knows that she left Chicopee Public Schools in good hands.
“I left everything with good hands. That was the key. I think it’s going well,” she said.
After over 30 years of service, dedication and involvement with the schools, Wojcik plans on keeping her retirement simple and easy.
“I’m just staying home and relaxing, cleaning the house, going shopping and enjoying all those things that I didn't in the past,” she said.