LHS LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST Janice Alpert, along with current and former students, urged the School Committee and Interim Superintendent Tom Geary not to cut her position during a Feb. 27 meeting.
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — A group of former and current students aired concerns during the School Committee’s Feb. 27 meeting about the Lynnfield High School library media specialist job being eliminated in the proposed fiscal year 2025 school budget.
Interim Superintendent Tom Geary and the School Committee have proposed eliminating the high school library media specialist position due to the district’s ongoing budget challenges (see separate story).
LHS Library Media Specialist Janice Alpert said Principal Patricia Puglisi notified her before February vacation that her job was being eliminated.
“I was shocked, saddened and, quite frankly, gutted,” said Alpert. “This is my 25th year in the library media specialist position at Lynnfield High School. I absolutely love working with the students and the teachers. I was immediately flooded with questions. Why would a high-achieving district like Lynnfield want to lose a partner for collaboration, research and learning, and lose access to a myriad of online databases, eBooks and professional developed only provided by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners to schools with licensed library teachers? What about the Student Help Desk program that I created? What about the Maker Space? What about the community outreach and the connections that have been formed between LHS students and Lynnfield Senior Center members when they meet monthly to get technology assistance? In today’s digital age with artificial intelligence, fake news, media bias and a growing concern about digital literacy, how can a district cut a position when evaluating information is a key component of the job?”
Alpert said she helps students with technology issues, check out books, work on assignments and other needs. She also said she helps teachers co-plan lessons, collaborate and integrate technology.
“In addition, LHS will be violating the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) requirement for having a certified library media specialist in the building,” said Alpert. “It’s a valuable position that has a direct impact on teaching and learning. Please reconsider your decision to cut the library media specialist.”
School Committee Chair Kate DePrizio said the plan to eliminate the position was a difficult decision because Alpert is “valued by staff and students alike.”
“You have made a mark on their lives and their experiences as a resource, especially and most notably in the Help Desk department,” said DePrizio. “I have heard amazing accounts of what their life was like and what they are doing now. You are so appreciated for that. Thank you for all that you have done.”
Locksley Road resident Sebastian Fadel, who graduated from LHS in 2018, recalled that he was involved in the Student Help Desk program that Alpert started. He was “shocked” after learning Alpert’s job was eliminated.
“There are no words to describe the impact Ms. Alpert had on my life,” said Fadel. “She is single-handedly the most impactful person in my academic career. As a freshman, I did not find my place until Help Desk. She gave me the motivation to learn and pursue higher education. Her Maker Space allowed me to work for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is one of the best colleges in the world. I partnered with Al Hussein Technical University in Jordan, which is the crown prince of the royal family of Jordan’s university. I missed midterms because I was setting up a maker lab in Jordan for displaced Syrian refugees inside of the crown prince’s university. There are very few 17-year-olds who had the opportunity to do that, and that was entirely due to Ms. Alpert’s efforts to improve my education and give me an opportunity that I wouldn’t have found elsewhere. This decision is the wrong one. How many school board meetings have had twentysomethings leave work early to come and speak about a teacher’s impact?”
Country Club Drive resident Gabe Landau, who is a LHS Class of 2015 graduate, recalled that he was a “founding member of the Student Help Desk created and led by Ms. Alpert.”
“I wholeheartedly believe without that experience, which was only made possible by Ms. Alpert’s time and dedication to her students, I would not be where I am today,” said Landau. “I was passionate about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), specifically information technology and computers, which is how I now make my living. Ms. Alpert’s Student Help Desk was one of the only areas in which I was given the opportunity to explore this field. The belief and trust she put into the students to work directly with LHS IT staff, other faculty, staff members and even school and district administrators were paramount to that process. The experience was so impactful to me that I still discuss it in professional settings and interviews. Ms. Alpert has done amazing things with the program since I graduated. Whenever I come back, visit and speak with the Help Desk members, I am thoroughly impressed with how she has continued to transform the Student Help Desk as well as increase the opportunities offered by the library to the wider student body. If anything, I believe she should be supported to expand the Student Help Desk program and other STEM opportunities for students. Letting her go would be a grave mistake.”
Summer Street resident Zachary Glowik, a LHS Class of 2015 graduate, said Alpert played an “instrumental” role in his development as a student and professional.
“Like Gabe, I still talk about my time with the Student Help Desk and I currently work in IT,” said Glowik. “She is the reason why I am doing what I am doing in my career. When I heard she was going to be let go, I was flabbergasted. I think it’s the wrong decision.”
Class of 2023 graduate Colin McCormick said he was involved in the Student Help Desk program for his four years at LHS. He said Alpert helped foster his interest in IT, STEM and robotics.
“Ms. Alpert guided me in the right direction to do all of the things that I wanted to do,” said McCormick. “When I first found out that Ms. Alpert was getting removed from her position, it almost felt insulting. We had worked so hard to establish such a good STEM education core at Lynnfield High School, where students would join the Help Desk and interact with students at the elementary and middle school levels. Ms. Alpert has been such a core part of establishing that. I understand that budget issues are difficult, but you have to understand how certain positions make an impact on students’ lives.”
LHS senior/Student Help Desk member Ryan Michalski said he agreed with the graduates’ sentiments about Alpert.
“Ms. Alpert helps a crazy amount of people every single day,” said Michalski. “I really do care about the school system, and she is a very valuable part of the school system.”
Student Council President Keely Briggs said Alpert is “one of the most profound people” at the high school.
“A lot of students feel safe and welcome at the library because of Ms. Alpert,” said Briggs. “She is extremely kind and cares about all of the students at the high school. She helps pick out books for independent reading projects, and takes time to get to know students to help them find a book they will enjoy. She takes the time to get to know you. She works hard to introduce different perspectives, cultures and experiences through books, which encourages students to have open minds and learn more about the world around us. Without Ms. Alpert, that level of education would not be reached. I hope you reconsider the decision that is being made because she is so crucial in the education of every single student at Lynnfield High School.”
The meeting’s attendees gave all of the speakers a round of applause.
DePrizio personally thanked each of the speakers for advocating on Alpert’s behalf.
LHS Principal Patricia Puglisi thanked all of the speakers for discussing how Alpert has made an impact on their lives.
“The comments about Janice have been heard well,” said Puglisi.
Geary also addressed the proposed plan to eliminate the LHS library media specialist job while giving an overview of the proposed school budget for FY25.
“The Student Help Desk will continue in some form or fashion to meet the needs of students,” said Geary. “There will still be a significant amount of access to the media center’s databases. Students will be able to conduct research as needed. We have also looked into the number of books being checked out of the high school compared to the three other schools. It is significantly less. This will not damage our New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation. It’s a recommendation, not a requirement. We all want a library media specialist position and no one is looking to get rid of it, but we have to meet a number with the town. That is why it is part of our budget recommendation.”
In response to a question from School Committee Vice Chair Jamie Hayman, Geary said the Maker Space will continue to be used in the high school media center.