In 2022, Sullivan paraprofessional Keishla Rodriguez let her principal know she was moving back to Puerto Rico, and made a promise that she would come back to Holyoke Public Schools if she ever returned to Holyoke. What she didn’t expect was to be welcomed back three years later not as a paraprofessional, but as a classroom teacher.
“I was a special education teacher in Puerto Rico,” Ms. Rodriguez explained. “When I came here in 2020, I started as a paraprofessional at Sullivan for two reasons. One, because Spanish is my principal language and here I would be teaching in English. Two, because I wanted to see what it’s like in a classroom here compared to Puerto Rico.”
When she first came to Holyoke, Sullivan school was an elementary school—the grade level Ms. Rodriguez taught in Puerto Rico. After two years of working as a paraprofessional, she moved back to Puerto Rico, unsure whether she would return to Holyoke some day. Her principal at Sullivan, Sacha Garcia-Mailloux, told her she would always be welcome to return to Holyoke Public Schools any time.
In 2023, Ms. Rodriguez did move back to Holyoke, and followed through on her promise by applying for a paraprofessional position again—this time, at Morgan School, where Ms. Garcia-Mailloux is now the principal. After spending three months covering for a classroom teacher on maternity leave, Ms. Rodriguez was ready for the next step, and applied for an open ABL (applied behavioral learning) teaching position.
“That was the time that I said, ‘I feel like I can do it. I think I can try,’” said Ms. Rodriguez. She officially began as a classroom teacher at Morgan School in August, and is well into her first year as a teacher in Massachusetts—and it’s going great.
“I love it,” said Ms. Rodriguez. “And I love working in special education. From the first year, I worked with special education. I prefer it. I feel that I can make a change, and I feel that students can do more than people think. My favorite is when kids surprise me. Sometimes you see a student, and think ‘maybe they can’t do this,’ and they surprise you with what they can do.”
Currently, Ms. Rodriguez is working on updating her teaching license for Massachusetts. She intends to continue teaching elementary special education for years to come—something that Principal Garcia-Mailloux is glad to hear.
“Keishla began her journey supporting others, found her voice through perseverance, and returned as a teacher. With determination stronger than any language barrier, she turned challenge into purpose and now leads with heart, skill, and courage,” said Principal Garcia-Mailloux.
As one of the newest teachers in the district, Ms. Rodriguez has some advice for teachers coming to Holyoke: It’s all about your team.
“It’s a challenge, but you can do it. When you have a team in the classroom that speaks the same language and everyone’s on the same page, you can do the work.”