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“It’s Like Being a Priest”

by Paul Bass | Sep 29, 2005 3:00 pm

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Posted to: Schools, The Hill

Yes, you teach them reading. You also visit their homes. You collect shoes for them. You throw yourselves into the kids’ lives. And you don’t do it for the money. That’s part of how Myrna Montalvo described her job when she was named New Haven’s new teacher of the year at an energetic ceremony Thursday at Truman School.

Montalvo, who has taught kindergarten at the Hill neighborhood school for 24 years, received her award in her basement classroom shortly before noon. Teachers, administrators, old friends all joined the Spanish-speaking students in her bilingual class in celebrating. They brought hugs and memories of a teacher who has never lost her energy and enthusiasm for one of society’s most important jobs. Schools chief Reginald Mayo presented Montalvo her award. He spoke of her dedication to the children beyond the classroom.

“You can pay a person to teach,” Mayo said. “But you can’t pay a person to care.”

Montalvo fought tears as she addressed the crowded room.

“I love my job,” she said. “It’s a passion you have. It’s like being a priest. It’s not about the money.”

The ceremony also honored three runners-up for teacher of the year: Judy Goodrich of Troup Magnet Academy of Science, Mary Cofrancesco of Wilbur Cross High School, and Lisa Pires of Sheridan Magnet School.

After the formal ceremony, Montalvo spoke of the modest circumstances her students come from. Truman, one of the most stunningly rebuilt schools in the city’s ongoing $1.4 billion renovation program, majestically anchors an otherwise bleak stretch of the Hill neighborhood. Many of Montalvo’s students are immigrants from countries like Mexico and Paraguay. If she learns that a child lacks shoes or other clothing, Montalvo will take up a collection among teachers then deliver the clothes to the child’s home. She tutors kids on weekends.

“It’s up to us to give that hand up out of poverty,” she said. “You need to help them with immediate needs.”

Montalvo’s devotion to her students came across before the ceremony during an animated reading of La Oruga Muy Hambrienta, an Eric Carle book known to English-speakers as The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Montalvo and the excited 12 kindergarteners seated before her on a carpeted patch of the classroom floor relived the emerging butterfly’s sabado feast. They rubbed their tummies and called out the Spanish words for chocolate cake, salami, cheese, lollipop, watermelon, cupcake, and other courses being devoured in one sitting (or squirming).

Montalvo’s devotion also came across when she was asked to revisit highlights and low moments over her 24 years.

A low moment: When the state child-welfare agency moved a kindergartener Montalvo had been helping, who was being abused at home, to a family in Meriden. To protect the child, the agency doesn’t give out the new address to people when making such transfers. “That was a hard moment,” Montalvo said, because she couldn’t follow up to learn how the child was doing.

A hug for Miss Montalvo, one of many Thursday.

A high moment came just the other day. Christina came to school without tears for the first time this new year. “You know, Miss Montalvo,” Christina said, “I love coming to school.”

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