Thirty-four Portland Public Schools retiring employees were honored by the Portland Board of Public Education and the district in a ceremony on Tuesday, June 7. Those recognized were teachers, educational technicians, bus assistants, custodians and maintenance workers, a secretary, cafeteria workers, a community coordinator, a mentor coordinator, the district’s facilities coordinator and the executive director of Portland Adult Education.
“Whatever your role,” Superintendent Xavier Botana told the retirees, “you have all worked to make a difference in the lives of our students, and we can’t thank you enough.” He noted that the retirees have collectively given more than 800 years of dedicated service to the Portland Public Schools.
“This is always a bittersweet event as we combine our gratitude for your years of contributions with the realization that as you leave, we are losing a wealth of knowledge, expertise and commitment,” Botana said. “Inevitably, every year during our budget process we hear comments about the fact that 80 percent of our budget goes to salaries and benefits for our staff. Those of us who work in schools know that it is because we are ultimately a People business. Without the greatest team of people, we wouldn’t be able to do any of what we do. Our Portland Promise recognizes that People are our greatest resource. And this group is further evidence of that.”
The retirees’ length of service ranges from six years to 45 years. Most are retiring now, some retired earlier this school year and a few will continue with the district a few more weeks before formally leaving. The ceremony was an opportunity to formally recognize the retirees as a group. View the ceremony HERE.
Here is a list of retirees honored at the June 7, 2022 ceremony, with their most recent positions and years of service:
● Ardito, Barbara: teacher, Longfellow Elementary School, 28 years
● Ayers, Brian: head carpenter, Maintenance Department, 23 years
● Burek, Shelley: technology teacher, Lincoln Middle School, 27 years
● Carten, Laura: educational technician, Rowe Elementary School, 16 years
● Chatterjee, Roy: mentor coordinator, Deering High School, 6 years
● Cooper, Kathleen: teacher, Lyseth Elementary School, 32 years
● Coughlin, Susan: educational technician, Deering High School, 9 years
● Dimauro, Janice: secretary, PATHS, 13 years
● Doane, Susan: educational technician librarian, Talbot Community School, 28 years
● Eacret, Diane: bus assistant, Transportation Department, 13 years
● Fournier, Debra: teacher, Deering High School, 39 years
● Gillespie, Mike: head custodian, Central Office, 20 years
● Gillies, Mary Ellen: cafeteria worker, Talbot Community School, 28 years
● Goodson, Jean: custodian, Lyseth Elementary School, 31 years
● Hampton, Sarah: educational technician, King Middle School, 23 years
● Haskell, Anne Marie: educational technician, Ocean Elementary School, 28 years
● Hey, Phyllis: community coordinator, Lincoln Middle School, 24 years
● Kazilionis, Deb: cafeteria worker, Lyman Moore Middle School, 16 years
● Keller, Suzanne: educational technician, Presumpscot Elementary School, 34 years
● Kem, Veasna: educational technician, Lyseth Elementary School, 36 years
● Kerkhof, Janny: educational technician, Reiche Community School, 24 years
● Korthy, Laurie: educational technician, Talbot Community School, 26 years
● Lindsay, Robert: teacher, Lincoln Middle School, 30 years
● McKenzie, Merita: teacher, Lyseth Elementary School, 45 years
● Nichols, Larry: teacher, Deering High School, 36 years
● Piasio, Laurie: teacher, Lyman Moore Middle School, 18 years
● Roast, Bonnie: cafeteria worker, Food Service Department, 10 years
● Ross, Melissa: educational technician: King Middle School, 29 years
● Scala- Nordstrom, Anne: educational technician, Rowe Elementary School, 34 years
● Sherwood, Doug: facilities coordinator, Central Office, 21 years
● Simpson, David: teacher: Lincoln Middle School, 27 years
● St. Onge, Anita: executive director, Portland Adult Education, 6 years
● White, Roland: bus assistant, Transportation Department, 11 years
● Yarmaloff, Stephanie: educational technician, Talbot Community School, 40 years
The Portland Public Schools is Maine’s largest school district, with approximately 6,500 students, and is also the most diverse. About one-third of the district’s students come from homes where languages other than English are spoken—a total of more than 50 languages. 51 percent of the district’s students are white and 49 percent are students of color. Approximately half of PPS students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.