Teachers of the Year, and a Softening of Tone

Photo by Evan Brandt

OK, so they're not The Avengers but what they do can be just as heroic, they are Pottstown School District's Teachers of the Year. In the center is Ben Hayes, Pottstown Middle School music teacher who was named the district's teacher of the year. From left are the other nominees from their respective buildings: Deena Alexander from Barth, Eileen Basham from the high school, Michael Koman from Lincoln, Darla Stout from Franklin, Debbie Wilson, also from the middle school, and Nicole Leh from Rupert. They are congratulated by Superintendent Jeff Sparagana and School Board President Kim Stilwell. 

It's that time of year.

For whatever reason, spring is award season.

So, the Pottstown School Board meeting Monday was full of them.

First and foremost was the high schools Air force JROTC program winning the Outstanding Unit Award for the 18th straight year.

The district's music department receives its award.

And then Tom Kelly from Zeswitz Music presented the district's music educators
with an award from the National Association of Music Merchants, naming them as one of only 400-plus districts in the entire country to be recognized for their music program.

State Sen. Bob Mensch presents Jeff Sparagana with

a proclamation from the state Senate.

Then it was time for state Sen. Bob Mensch, R-24th Dist., who stopped by not to explain why he's done nothing to fix Pennylvania's completely skewed education funding system, but to give an award to Superintendent Jeff Sparagana who, I suspect, would rather that Mensch fixed the funding system than hand him another nice proclamation.

Then it was on to the annual Teachers of the Year ceremony.

Some of the students and teachers who went on the recent AP Government trip to Eastern Europe reviewed their travels and lessons learned.

Then the school board did some quick stuff, like adopted its second consecutive budget that will not raise taxes as well as vote to make human resources director Stephen Rodriguez the interim superintendent and guarantee him a job as assistant to the superintendent when a new superintendent is found.

Polly Weand was not happy, and said so.

But what I found interesting about last night's meeting, for what that's worth, is that everyone on the ongoing discussion about funding, salaries and teacher contracts seems to be coming closer together in terms of position, even if from different perspectives.

Let's see if it turns into anything.

Anyway, here are the Tweets: