Educators and families urge more pay, specialized training and library funding at public comment

At the FY27 public input session Wednesday, Springfield educators and community partners urged the School Committee to invest in staff compensation, targeted training for high-need classrooms and stronger library budgets.

Angela Daniels, a peer educator at the Primary Learning Center at Venn Swan Elementary, told the committee that peer teachers and paraeducators doing equivalent work are not receiving critical-needs stipends when they teach under emergency licenses. "Because I am working under an emergency license and on a waiver, I do not receive that stipend," Daniels said, and asked the committee to correct the disparity so students have stable, committed educators.

Other commenters pressed related staffing and training needs. Ariana Williams, a pre-K teacher, asked the district to fund pre-K floaters or additional substitutes to handle toileting and behavior supports so teachers can focus on instruction. "We're taking...instructional learning time away when teachers are expected to diaper students while teaching," she said.

Moses Gonzales, a paraprofessional, described how inadequate staffing, substitute shortages and poor onboarding in a LYNX/links program led to disruptions and turnover; he said adding floaters dedicated to links classrooms improved morale and student participation and asked that staffing be sustained.

Veteran special education teacher Judy Payne described workplace injuries and safety risks in substantially separate classrooms and asked for lower student-to-staff ratios, specialized training and a critical-needs stipend for paraprofessionals who work in those settings.

Olivia Baker, an intensive links teacher at Bowles Elementary, called for expanded, specialized crisis training tailored to students with profound autism and additional safety equipment (padded or sensory rooms, walkie-talkies) for low-incidence classrooms; she said standard CPI training does not always meet the needs of profoundly affected students.

Leslie Brower, district library coordinator, urged the committee to create a new district line item titled 'books and library materials' with an annual allocation of $5,000 per school that has a library. She contrasted current elementary allocations (about $550 a year) with national averages and argued that better-funded libraries are an equity measure. "At a budget of $550 ... that equates to possibly 22 new books annually," Brower said, calling the $5,000 proposal a modest, sustainable step toward equity.

A representative from the Community Music School of Springfield thanked the district for existing partnerships that bring adaptive music and enrichment programming into classrooms and said arts partnerships strengthen community engagement.

What the committee can do next: commenters asked that the committee consider (1) extending critical-needs stipends to peer teachers and paraprofessionals who meet the role’s responsibilities, (2) funding pre-K floaters and dedicated links floaters, (3) investing in specialized crisis training and safety equipment for low-incidence classrooms, and (4) creating the proposed $5,000 per-school library line item. The committee did not take action on these requests at the meeting; several members expressed appreciation and signaled the need for advocacy at the state level as the budget process continues.

The public comment period concluded and the committee moved to adjourn.