Local 4098 Member of the Month
November 2026
Diana Christopher
Diana Christopher has been working for the Springfield Public Schools since August 20, 2024. She currently works at M. Marcus Kiley Prep Middle School as a Paraeducator and serves as the Building Representative.
“It is my pleasure to recognize Ms. Diana as Paraeducator of the Month! In her role in the Life Skills classroom, she brings creativity, dedication, and a genuine passion for supporting her students. Beyond her daily responsibilities, she consistently goes above and beyond to contribute to our entire school community. Her hard work, initiative, and willingness to lend a helping hand make her an invaluable member of our team. We are grateful for all she does to support our students and staff, and we are proud to celebrate her well-deserved recognition! We will miss you!" - Julia St. Martin, M.S. Ed, Principal Kiley Prep
Khalid Watt a paraeducator of Kiley Prep as a colleague of Diana states, “Thank you for being a great colleague and teammate. All the paras and teachers you work with appreciate the hard work and dedication you put towards the students. You have been a true asset to Kiley Prep. You have made a great impact on all the students you work with every day.”
“I have known Diana for 11 years, and throughout that time, I’ve known her to be a wonderful, caring, and compassionate educator. She truly cares about others and always wants the best for her students and the people around her. Diana goes out of her way to support her colleagues, making a positive difference, and ensure that those she works with feel valued and cared for. Her kindness, dedication, and genuine concern for others are qualities that make her a special person and a positive influence on everyone who has the pleasure of knowing her.”- Zorinayda Cotto.
“Ms. Diana, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to work with! Your kindness, patience, dedication, and the love you show our students have meant so much to me. Your expertise in math has been a lifesaver, especially since math is not my strongest subject! You took the lead and made learning math meaningful for our students. Now I have some big shoes to fill because I’ll have to tackle math on my own! Working alongside you has truly been a blessing, and I will miss you more than words can say. You are simply the BEST para ever! I’m so happy for your new journey, but our classroom will never be quite the same without you!” - Mrs. Jones.
Congratulations Diana and Thank You for Making a Difference
With the latest news from SPS concerning the Cyber Incident you may want to consider freezing your credit.
Freezing your credit can help stop identity theft. When a credit freeze is in place, nobody can open a new credit account in your name. There’s no cost to place or lift a credit freeze, and it doesn’t affect your credit score.
You don’t have to wait for your Social Security number or other information to be exposed in a data breach or misused by an identity thief to get a credit freeze. Anyone can do it, any time.
What it does: While a credit freeze is in place, nobody can open a new credit account in your name, including you. If you need to do things like apply for new credit or a job, rent an apartment, or buy insurance, you can temporarily lift the freeze and put it back when you’re done.
A credit freeze is always a good idea, but it’s even more important if your Social Security number or other information is exposed in a data breach or if an identity thief has misused your information.
Equifax
Experian
Transunion
Write to your members of Congress asking them to pass the Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights (H. Res. 990 and S. Res. 450) and then share this link with your colleagues so they can do the same.
Wondering about your member benefits? Check these out!
Springfield Federation of Paraprofessionals
Local 4098
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Nominate a Local 4098 Member to be the Member of the Month
Do you know a member of our unit who goes above and beyond? Would you like to nominate that person for recognition within our local?
We would like to acknowledge a single member of our unit on a monthly basis for their contributions to our members and our local.
Use the form below to nominate a member and tell us a little about why you think we should recognize them as the "Local 4098 Member of the Month ".
You can watch the School Committee Meetings live on on YouTube on the Focus Springfield Channel Focus Springfield Community TV - YouTube
