Surrounded by fellow teachers Jill Pszeniczny, Kristen Miracle, Nicole Disa and Terrie Henrich, Franchesca Pafumi talks about her experience in the school district’s teacher mentorship program.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
WILBRAHAM — Mile Tree Principal Allison Petit announced her departure at the Jan. 23 Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee meeting. She said that she was stepping down from the administrative role, and instead, had taken a position as a fifth grade teacher at Soule Road School.
The departure of Petit, who had been principal at Mile Tree for three years, came after a Dec. 17 vote of no confidence among educators and staff in the Hampden-Wilbraham Education Association union. During the meeting’s public comment period, Christine Goonan, vice president of the Hampden-Wilbraham Education Association for grades pre-K-8. She said 73 members of the staff participated and 90% of them returned a vote of no confidence. Goonan said it was the culmination of two years of “frustrations” with leadership. She cited “a lack of trust, respect and responsiveness” to staff from Petit.
HWEA President Damian Konkoly also addressed the School Committee. He said Superintendent John Provost has not “adequately” addressed the situation. Konkoly said the planned changes in Petit’s position in the district “avoids, minimizes or dismisses” the concerns of the educators at Mile Tree School and Soule Road School would be “disrupted” by Petit’s move.
Petit responded. She said her team at Mile Tree has accomplished much during her tenure and received fully proficient evaluations. She acknowledged the no confidence vote and concerns about communication, decision-making, staffing, a lack of self-reflection and relationships with staff and district families. Petit said she offered to work with HWEA members to address their issues but was rebuffed.
After reflection, Petit said she decided to go back to teaching in the classroom. She specified that she applied for the position through the standard process and was interviewed by a committee before being offered the teacher position. Provost did not comment on the issue.
Mentor program
An aspect of the district’s strategic plan has been put into action through the mentor program for first-time teachers and those new to the district. Provost said entering a new district, especially as a first-time teacher, can be overwhelming.
“It is very important that we honor and cherish and hold new teachers in a special way to welcome them,” he said. The program addresses the issues new teachers may face and creates a structure to support them.
Curriculum Director Lisa Curtin explained that in the first year of the program, incoming teachers are paired with veteran teachers who help them prepare for licensure, introduce them to the specialists, counselors and other members of a support team that the teacher can reach out to for assistance while they get their bearings. In year two, the teacher moves from working with a single mentor to working with a focus group. The group chooses topics to explore, hears from guest speakers and participates in classroom walk-throughs to learn practices from other teachers.
Curtin brought five teachers to the meeting to speak about their experiences with the mentor program. Franchesca Pafumi came into the district as a first-year teacher in the 2023-24 school year. She said her mentor’s support made her year much easier. Now in her second year, she said she finds value in the open dialog of the group.
Nicole Disa is a longtime teacher who joined the district during the coronavirus pandemic. She said she had to navigate a new position in a new school while learning how to teach hybrid classes. She learned that the mentor program was available and began it last year. While she is confident in her abilities as a teacher, the mentor program helped her with questions about the district’s software, contract issues and licensing. “Just having someone to ask questions to where you don’t feel like a bother,” she said.
