Wilbraham School Committee member William Bontempi was mistaken when he recently said that the Hampden Wilbraham Education Association (HWEA) “didn’t care” about possible staff reductions, as reported in the article “School Committee Rehashes Budget, Continues to Iron Out Remote Learning” (The Reminder April 8, 2020).

When the HWEA and School Committee met during the fall, educators most certainly expressed their concerns about preserving highly qualified staff. The union’s position has not changed: HWEA educators care about our schools and advocate for the schools our communities deserve.

Regarding the budget, the HWEA seeks information and dialogue so if the district moves to cut staff, there is an opportunity to lessen the inevitable impact on students. We still believe that the final budget vote was premature, especially in light of the current state of emergency and budget changes instituted by the governor, and that more time would allow all stakeholders to present different options. Creativity is needed now more than ever in these challenging times.

During the school closure, HWEA educators have driven throughout the district in parades; art teachers have developed a Community Connections Project; and individual teachers have reached out to students in other creative ways to show them we care. HWEA educators have worked with new tools for online learning and collaborated with each other to provide meaningful remote learning opportunities. We are funding and administering a project to distribute flower seeds to all households of students in the Hampden Wilbraham Regional School District in order to promote unity, allow for hands-on cross-curricular learning and give students a sense of agency and hope.  

HWEA educators - and public school educators across the state - have organized and participated in town hall meetings with legislators. We successfully lobbied to drop MCAS testing this year. We continue to advocate for funding that is adequate to meet the needs of our students.

The Hampden Wilbraham Education Association is active in supporting the schools and students of our towns in every way and on local and state levels. The statements of one or two individuals at the April 2 School Committee Meeting might misrepresent all we do, but they do not diminish or deter us.


On behalf of the HWEA,
Damian Konkoly, President
Christine Goonan and Georgina Trebbe, Vice-Presidents
Julie Ann LeClair, Treasurer
Geraldine Figmonari, Secretary