School community rallies together to stop custodian’s transfer

NORWALK — Almost everyone who is a part of the Nathan Hale Middle School community knows Ronald Spencer.

The school's beloved custodial worker — who was born, raised and attended public school in Norwalk — has roamed the halls for 14 years.

Over the years, community members say, he’s proved himself as a familiar and friendly face to students, a colleague teachers can rely on and another adult in the school parents can trust.

Outside of his work hours he even puts another set of skills to work for the school community, as he DJs dances to raise money for students who would otherwise be unable to afford things such as field trips.

“It's a good job,” Spencer said. “I really love people — I just like to make people happy.”

That’s why it was tough on Spencer and others when on a Friday afternoon in early January, he received a mandatory transfer to Ponus Ridge Middle School. He was to report to his new school on Monday.

There was really “no notice,” Spencer said. “And then because I had such short notice, I had to run and tell everyone goodbye.”

He received the notice around 1 p.m. By the end of the school day nearly the entire school community was distressed by the news.

“I started telling everyone goodbye, and kids and teachers started crying,” he said. “The whole school got really upset about it.”

“He is more than a custodian,” said Lisa Nuzzo, PTO President at Nathan Hale Middle School and member of the School Governance Council. “He helps the kids beyond what we even know. He manages to fix situations over there before they are even known to anybody.”

So it made sense that the Nathan Hale Middle School community was not about to let Spencer go so easily.

The school principal and assistant principal reportedly took a stand against Spencer’s transfer. School teachers started a petition. Parents started a separate petition. Students emailed City Hall.

“On that Friday I received a call from someone at Nathan Hale and they were very upset and said Spencer received word of an involuntary transfer effective Monday,” Nuzzo said. “I said, ‘this isn't going to sit well because everyone loves Spencer.’”

Nuzzo called central office and spoke to officials within the school district’s Human Resources Department. They told her the best thing to do would be to have parents, students and community members send emails or make calls in support of Spencer staying at Nathan Hale.

So Nuzzo posted that information to several social media pages, rallying up community support.

“Nathan Hale parents, the community, they went crazy, “ Nuzzo said. “They were not letting Spencer go.”

By the following Monday afternoon, Nuzzo had good news: Spencer’s transfer was canceled. He would go back to Nathan Hale.

Spencer’s planned transfer “originated with the facilities department as a part of their day-to-day management of building needs,” said Brenda Wilcox Williams, a spokeswoman for the school district.

She said it was reviewed by senior management in human resources, finance and operations, who ultimately decided against it.

“We typically do not like to make changes like that during the school year because it can disruptive,” Williams said, “so the change was not activated.”

However, many believe the move was yet another step by the district in its ploy to consolidate unionized custodian workers to increasingly fewer schools as the district slowly moves toward use of external contract workers — a move that school officials have said will save the district money.

Williams said “the potential move of Mr. Spencer had nothing at all to do with bringing in contracted custodian workers.”

Nuzzo said she wasn’t aware why district officials attempted to transfer Spencer, but that it’s important to keep custodial workers who have been in schools for a long time and are a part of the community — such as Spencer at Nathan Hale — in those schools.

“I think that the custodians who have been at the schools have established a sense of security with the kids, which is especially important in middle school and high school,” Nuzzo said. “Those are tough years for the kids, and when they do find a trusted adult they look up to as more of a mentor that is a value to the school system — an asset.”

Nuzzo also said Spencer was an asset when it came to teachers and parents.

She told the story of a staff member who broke his or her leg or foot.

“Every morning Spencer would go out and get her and help her to class,” Nuzzo said. “I don’t know if you’re going to get that from an outsourced contractor.”

Spencer said he was told his transfer was simply because “a good worker” was needed at another school.

Regardless, he said, it was a pleasant surprise to feel his love for the community reciprocated in such full force.

“I’ve never felt so appreciated in my life,” Spencer said. “It was very overwhelming experience for me. It really made me feel good to have that many people go to bat for me and care. I really wasn’t aware that many people would be affected by me leaving.”