Six years ago, I volunteered at my daughter, Medina’s, kindergarten class at Prendergast Elementary School. I had the honor and privilege of meeting her dedicated and hardworking teacher, Mrs. Pozucek, who went above and beyond in her role as a teacher.
During recess time, I was getting to know some of the teachers and staff and learned that so many of our teachers, who owe astronomical amounts on their students loans, were doing so much to financially support our children out of their own pockets.
When I asked our teachers why they did this the number one answer they gave me was that they love what they do and they love our children. Another popular answer was that their health benefits were one of the biggest perks they received from our school district.
After looking into parental involvement in the school and the lack of fathers, I decided to create the Dad’s Club which consisted of a group of fathers and grandfathers who were dedicated to volunteering in the school and helping fundraise for Prendergast.
The funds we raised were used to purchase smart boards, help pay for end-of-the-year events and activities and I think, most importantly, help cover some of the out-of-pocket expenses that our teachers pay for our children, whether it is crayons, pencils, scissors or books. A classroom cannot properly function without these essential items but unfortunately, our teachers are required to cover the cost of these expenses.
Our schools are very welcoming, warm and inviting and it starts from our Board of Education Directors, superintendent, Dr. Merlone, assistant superintendent, Mr. Wilson, our principals, teachers, paras, secretaries, custodians and school safety.
However, this year, reality has hit home. In one year’s time, we have lost Teacher of the Year and Assistant Principal of the Year, Mr. Sherrod McNeill and we are now losing Mr. Joseph Apicella who has been our great leader and principal for the last four years.
Before we know it, all of our teachers will be leaving because City Hall is determined to have them agree to the health insurance policy, which our Board of Education directors has already looked over and rejected. This plan that City Hall is trying to stronghold on our teachers will undoubtedly send the rest of our teachers off in search of finding employment in school districts that put their schools and their children first and recognize the value and importance of teacher excellence.
Our elected officials need to stop cutting from our schools and taking away from our children. If we want to save money for our town and allocate it correctly, let’s first start with City Hall’s budget and work from there.
If you ask any realtor, the first thing families look for when purchasing a home is the neighborhood’s school system. If we cannot provide the proper funding to our schools, we will continue to lose our very best and experienced teachers and administrators and the ones who are going to see the effects of this are our children.
The writer is an Ansonia resident who ran as a candidate for the Board of Alderman in 2013 and 2015.
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