Teachers at Holyoke Public Schools urge board to back mediation as contract talks continue
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Summary
Three district educators told the Holyoke School Committee on March 9 that morale and retention are suffering and urged committee members to support mediation and teacher input after recent bargaining setbacks.
Three educators addressed the Holyoke School Committee during the March 9 public‑comment period, urging the panel to back mediation and to heed teacher feedback as contract talks continue. "Hello, my name is Brandy Bellochico... soy la maestra de Holyoke, y esta noche estoy muy decepcionada," one speaker told the committee.
Brandy Bellochico said she and colleagues were "ready to make progress" but worried that decisions by those in control of the schools were not in the district’s best interest; she asked the board to collaborate through the mediator scheduled for the coming Thursday. Peter Duffy, who said he has taught in the district for six years, described classroom gains tied to listening to students and using teacher surveys. "I would do surveys about how we are doing, what we want to change," he said, urging the board to value staff input on decisions.
Christine Lafortune, who said she has worked in the district’s preschool program for 27 years, described pay and longevity concerns that she said push veteran teachers to leave. She told the committee that after decades of service she earns about "$7,000" more than a colleague with seven years of service, and that loss of preparation time and caps on sick days harm teaching quality.
The comments came amid ongoing bargaining and a notice that the district’s negotiations have moved to mediation. Speakers asked the committee to prioritize listening to teacher feedback and to consider how policies on longevity, preparation time and sick leave affect retention and student learning. The committee did not take immediate formal action during public comment; later agenda items covered procedure and subcommittee referrals related to district leadership and oversight.
The committee’s public comment rules require speakers to give their name and address and limit remarks to two minutes; several speakers complied with that format and asked the board to press for collaborative negotiation outcomes.