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Date: 2/8/2022
SPRINGFIELD – After serving Springfield Public Schools over the last 28 years, retiring Assistant Superintendent Lydia Martinez-Alvarez received recognition for her contributions during the Jan. 27 School Committee meeting.
Mayor and School Committee Chair Domenic Sarno highlighted Martinez-Alvarez’s achievements during his proclamation of “Lydia Martinez-Alvarez Day” for Jan. 31. He praised the former assistant superintendent for her dedicated work in different roles throughout the district, beginning her career in 1996 as a teacher at Forrest Park Middle School.
From there, the mayor said Martinez-Alvarez quickly rose in rank throughout the district. She became the assistant principal at the Springfield High School of Science and Technology in 2003 before assuming the role of principal at Chestnut Accelerated Middle School in 2004. After some time in an administrative role as the chief of schools officer in Ward 3, Martinez-Alvarez became Springfield’s first Latina assistant superintendent in 2012.
“Lydia has been a strong, steadfast and unyielding advocate for our children and their families. She has been instrumental in a number of Springfield Public School initiatives and a strong voice throughout our community,” said Sarno.
Superintendent Daniel Warwick expressed his pride in Martinez-Alvarez as someone who worked with her throughout her career. “She took on every job with passion…For 28 years, she served the students of Springfield with passion and a caring attitude. She has done a great job in every role,” said Warwick.
Vice Chair of the School Committee Christopher Collins recognized Martinez-Alvarez as trailblazer throughout her distinguished career, while School Committee At-Large member Latonia Naylor thanked her for being a strong advocate and community leader for students.
Martinez-Alvarez arrived during the meeting’s conclusion to express her thanks to the committee. “You’ve always had my back and always been so supportive of me…This journey has been amazing and emotional, but I’ve grown so much,” said Martinez-Alvarez.
COVID-19 Update
The School Committee also discussed updates with COVID-19 within the school district. Warwick shared that student case numbers are going down after experiencing a significant surge after holiday vacation. “It’s moving in the right direction for us…all the procedures, PPE (personal protection equipment) and everything we’ve put in place has made sure we’re on top of this,” said Warwick.
Nursing Director Jeanne Clancy also explained the school district’s new testing protocols. With the addition of at-home rapid tests for students, Clancy shared that the school will no longer be performing contract tracing nor the “Test and Stay” program within schools. She expressed that the change will allow for a greater focus on monitoring students who are dealing with symptoms.
Clancy further explained how the at-home testing distribution will work. “Participating students and staff will receive one kit every two weeks. Schools will maximize the utility of the home test kits by recommending which day of the week we recommend students and staff to test,” said Clancy. Going forward, Warwick stressed that the new program will be more effective in handling the “different characteristics” of the omicron variant.
The School Committee will meet again on Feb. 10.