Moody School PTA Says: Reinstate a Third 1st Grade Teaching Position

The Moody School PTA is petitioning Superintendent Patricia Charles, Enza Macri and Board of Education members, in the hopes that a third teacher for Moody School’s first grade will be reinstated.

“With only two weeks left to the opening of the school doors, we were informed today that Moody School will no longer have 3 teachers serving the 48 incoming first-graders, but only 2,” Moody School PTA stated in an August 14 email to parents that was shared with Patch.

According to the PTA, classroom sizes will increase from 16 to 24 or 25.

“This is unacceptable,” the PTA members wrote. “It will reduce the amount of individual time a teacher can spend with each of her students by a third. This does not include any new students that may enroll after the first day of school.”

Patch was unable to reach school officials but will update the article with any new information.

The PTA’s Change.org petition had 22 signatures as of 4:25 p.m. Thursday, August 14.

Are you going to sign the petition? What factors into your decision to sign or not to sign?

Jennifer Sheridan is one of the parents who signed the petition.

“My son is going into first grade and this is important to the quality of education that he receives,” she wrote on the petition page. “I pay taxes and support our town I expect quality education with less than 20 students per class. 24 children is unmanageable at this grade level.”

The email to parents was crafted by the following Moody PTA members: President Carolyn May, Vice-President Celeste Fong, Co-Treasurer Linda Surmanis, Co-Treasurer Jennifer Amalfa, Secretary Meg Susi, and Event Coordinator Lisa Malangone.