Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/135412
Making a difference After the Navy, Zaffora drops anchor back home Your new DSEA treasurer came to teaching by way of 22 years of service in the U.S. Navy om Zaffora, a long-time chief in Uncle Sam's Navy, now teaches Social Studies and English Language Arts to middle school students at Phillis Wheatley Middle School in Woodbridge where he has worked since 2004 when the school opened. He wouldn't trade either experience. "I grew up in a family where military service was an understood duty of each citizen that was able to serve. Growing up on the Eastern Shore, the Navy was an obvious choice," he says. He travelled extensively, stationed in the Great Lakes, Coronado and San Diego. His final two years, he trained recruits, mostly in small arms operations. "I really like it. I liked to see their growth," he says. And that's when his second career became known. He decided to come back home to the Eastern shore (closer to his beloved Orioles, too!), where he and his wife finished raising their four children. He describes his three grandchildren as "perfect." Thanks to the G.I. bill, following his honorable discharge, he was able to afford five years of college at the University of Delaware where he earned a bachelor of science degree in Education, with a concentration in special education and social studies. He has taught 5th grade special education and social studies, and worked in the behavioral Intensive Learning Center, grades 5-8, in all four core subjects. This year he team teaches 6th grade social studies and English Language Arts with a special education teacher, Lorraine Vierzba. D "Teacher Accountability is not the issue" Dom Zaffora team teaches sixth grade students with Lorraine Vierzba. They teach Social Studies and English Language Arts. Here he's going over with the class their answers to a Social Studies opening activity called "The Daily 5." Next year he says he'll only be teaching English Language Arts, a change he laments. As the federal government and, therefore, states emphasize the tested subjects – English Language Arts and Mathematics – social studies and even science (a STEM subject), are being marginalized. Zaffora is passionate about Social Studies. "I believe the social sciences strive to discover the whys of the human condition. They are the core subject matter that ties all the others together." From the classroom to the union: a logical step When Zaffora started his teaching career at Phillis Wheatley, Wendy Cannon was president of the local Association. "She had interesting ideas, I thought. At the time, we had no contract, and she worked very hard to communicate to us that the situation didn't have to be adversarial, that there were ways to work together." This caught his attention, he said. "In the Navy I often negotiated the contracts with our civilian employees. And the method we used was what educators call 'interestbased' bargaining. It was never adversarial. We always talked about how the work of the civilians needed the Navy's support. How could we make sure that happened?" He says he saw how Cannon was not anti-administration. "She was all about bettering us as educators. She valued everyone, too. We were 24 May/June 2013 DSEA ACTION! "There were flaws. We were able to voice the problems we saw and work through DSEA's leaders to convince the state to shift from 'student achievement' to 'student progress,' a growth model. The union was definitely instrumental in that huge change," says Zaffora. DSEA, under the leadership of Diane Donohue, and its local leaders, also convinced the state that only people who taught ELA and mathematics should be tied in any way to the DCAS test results. The system isn't perfect, but Zaffora, as a member of the DSEA Exec. Board, will work to make sure it is as fair as it can be. "Teacher accountability is not the issue. Fairness is. A lot of people still aren't happy with how the teacher evaluation system is being implemented," he acknowledges, "so we keep trying to use our collective voices to make it fair." "Washington, D.C. could learn from us." Go Birds! Dom Zaffora is a long-time Orioles fan since growing up on the Eastern Shore. all important to the students. And that's the way it was in the Navy – everyone had a role to play, from top to bottom, and the Navy's job was to make sure they had the tools and working conditions to effectively do their part of the big picture, no matter their rank." Not long thereafter he became president of the Woodbridge Education Association, attending DSEA trainings and meetings of local presidents. He really got involved when the first draft of Delaware's unique "Component 5" – student achievement – part of teacher evaluation was revealed. DSEA hosted several meetings up and down the state to allow local leaders to better understand the proposal and then air their concerns. As a new member of the DSEA Exec. Board representing Sussex County members, Zaffora is not afraid to enter the discussions and make his views know. He says that he is pleased with how meetings are organized and run. "We work towards consensus, with discussion, debate, friendly amendments, always working toward the middle ground. We serve members better if we can make everyone happy by working together. Washington could learn from us," he says. Prior to running for the Board, he served his local WEA as president, vice president, membership chair and is currently its social chair. While in the Navy he served as an officer of the Chief Petty Officer's Association at several bases where he was stationed. He nominated himself for the vacant treasurer seat "…to bring a view of member representation and engagement to our leadership team that is in keeping with the highest traditions of our union." "Like I tell my kids," he says, "never stop asking why things are the way they are. You might not like the answers you find, but you will gain knowledge while searching." www.dsea.org