
Local 4098 Member of the Month
November 2023
Maria Perez
Maria Perez is a Paraeducator at Mary Walsh Elementary School and has been a member of the Federation since she began her career in the Springfield Public School on April 11, 2016.
"Maria is a model employee and is the definition of dependable, consistent and caring. My own children were lucky to have worked with her before Walsh and she has been working in our Severe LINKS program for the past 6 years. I admire Maria and appreciate that she is getting this recognition!" writes Principal Vinnie Regan.
Mariangeliz Fines-Delbrey writes "Maria is a selfless, kind, and caring human being. She adopts all her students as if her own. She makes sure they are fed, have all they need including hygiene met and clothing so students may feel comfortable and able to learn in a safe learning environment. She knows each child personal likes and dislikes and accommodates a teaching style for each child. Including kiddos favorite snack and songs."
"I have known Maria Perez for about 8 years now. She continues to be a hard working, caring, patient and understanding. She has worked tirelessly in many different Links classrooms with many different ages of students. She has a special place in her heart for her students. She deserves to be honored as Member of the Month." writes Ruth Moorhouse.
Congratulation Maria and thank you for Making A Difference 🙂
#ProudParas #ParasRock #RespectUsRespectOurWork


Please be advised that a change has been made to the school calendar for the 2023-2024 academic year. The Professional Development Day scheduled for Friday, January 5th has been changed to Tuesday, March 5th. Please note this change to the calendar schedule.


Help Pass the Thrive Act! An education bill filed on January 20, 2023, has the potential to transform the educational landscape for generations to come, bettering the lives of students and harnessing the knowledge and assets of local communities to improve schools, according to AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos and other education leaders.
The bill, An Act Empowering Students and Schools To Thrive (or the Thrive Act, for short), would equip local communities with the tools and resources that students and schools need to succeed, and dramatically reduce the harm caused by the high-stakes, punitive use of standardized tests, such as state takeovers and denying students high school diplomas.
“This bill is about lifting up students, lifting up schools, and lifting up communities,” says Kontos. “And it’s about freeing students and educators from the shackles of punitive, high-stakes standardized testing.”
Use our advocacy tool to email your state senator and state representative to ask them to co-sponsor An Act Empowering Students and Schools to Thrive:
https://aftmassachusetts.tiny.us/PasstheThrive
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 this link 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 Comcast-Channel 9 in Springfield or on YouTube on the Focus Springfield Channel Focus Springfield Community TV - YouTube




