Principals honor Governor's Teachers of the Year Award recipents at BOE meeting

BY AMY BATE

SPARTA — The principals of Sparta schools attended the regular Monday night meeting to present award to recipients of the Governor’s Teacher of the Year Award.

This award highlights educational innovation, student achievement, the rewards of teaching, and important services outside the classroom environment that lead to student success. It also brings public awareness to the positive aspects of the educational system.

Mr. Giuseppe Leone, principal of Alpine School presented the award to Kaitlyn Bird, a kindergarten teacher and the Service Professional of the Year Award to Christine Aloisio, the school’s nurse.

Mrs. Laura Trent, principal of Mohawk Avenue School presented the award to Stephanie Delpome, a 3rd grade teacher.

Principal Douglas Layman presented the award for Helen Morgan School to Judy Zoeller, a 4th grade math teacher and representing Sparta Middle School for Principal Mr. Michael Gregory presented the award to Margaret Trum, an Ancient Civilization Teacher.

Mrs. Janet Ferraro, principal of Sparta High School presented the Teacher of the year Award to Lara Lovett, Teacher of Science and also the Educational Specialist Award to Sandra Chiappini, teacher of business.

All of the principals gave speeches about their personal experiences with the recipients and their impact on their students, their dedication and “going the extra mile.”

Shortly thereafter; Mohawk Avenue School teachers Suzanne Smith and Brittany Lukich gave a presentation on the Mohawk Avenue School 3rd Grade Economics Fair, which is a program through Social Studies that was held during class that highlights history, citizenship, writing, design and teamwork as well as civics, geography and economics. The goal of the Fair was to create authentic, real-world scenarios and challenges students to generate ideas for hypothetical products and teaches them about earning and saving money, producers and consumers, supply and demand, goods and services, budgets and profits.

Superintendent Dennis Tobin could not be present at the meeting as his flight was delayed in another state. Dr. Daniel Johnson led the meeting.

Barbara Decker, BOE business administrator and Jack Surdoval, finance committee chair, said that budget meetings are underway. The principals of each school have presented their budgets for the 2016-17 school year and the first public presentation will be on Feb. 22 at the Board of Education’s regular meeting at Mohawk Avenue School.

Not only were many teachers present at last Monday’s meeting to support the Governor’s Teacher of the Year award but also to support Sparta Education Association’s Sue Sawey, who spoke representing the teachers during the public participation portion of the meeting. Johnson allowed more than the 3 minutes allotted to public participants since Sawey was representing a number of people.

Sawey said, “We (SEA) have had a great relationship with the BOE but the SEA is ‘sick and tired’ of nonsense with bargaining with teacher contracts and the BOE ‘dragging its feet’ in contract negotiations.”

“We feel that the BOE doesn’t respect teachers and that contract negotiations don’t seem to be a priority. With escalating benefits costs and teachers making less money, the families of teachers suffer. We want the BOE to ‘wake up’ and show teachers they are respected by negotiating contracts in a timely fashion.”

A mediation on this matter was held on Feb. 3.