It was through the youth council formed by Sen. Ryan Fattman and hosted by Oxford High School where she is the principal that Rebecca Czernicki came to the attention of the legislator, who nominated her as a Commonwealth Heroine Class of 2024.
But her lifelong dedication to educating young people and her sensitivity and experience with special needs communities cemented her place with the 124 other Bay State women whose contributions to their communities were recognized through the program created by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.
In his nomination, Fattman, R-Sutton, praised Czernicki for “always prioritizing the concerns of her students and is a great advocate for students in need of mental health or social, emotional assistances. She is a very visible leader who is always there to assist, support and cheer on colleagues and students alike.”
Fattman was seeking a venue for his Fattman Senate Youth Council when Czernicki offered Oxford High for the youngsters. The teenagers on the council attend from throughout Hampden and Worcester counties to participate in student leadership opportunities.
“Czernicki leads with collaboration in mind, and with compassion and conviction,” Fattman said.
Oxford High hosted the group in the fall and again in the spring. During one of the sessions, a situation developed that required Czernicki to intervene to ensure the safety of the participating teenagers.
Fattman, she said, was impressed by her competence and ability to resolve a situation that could have escalated.
“We deal with complicated situations all the time,” Czernicki said. The nomination came as a complete surprise, Czernicki said, noting that the recognition is rare, especially in her role as high school principal.
The lifelong educator was born and raised in Webster, graduated from Bartlett School and attended Worcester State University for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She has moved around a bit in her 29-year career as an educator, but mostly within Worcester County.
Her first job saw her in an Oxford classroom for eight years before she moved to a position in Webster, where she spent two years in a classroom teaching English to high school students.
“When a coaching position opened up, I took that step,” Czernicki said, explaining that her whole life had always revolved around education; both as a student as well as a teacher. She particularly enjoyed learning coaching skills and the theory and practice of teaching and learning.
“I hadn’t given (changing direction) much thought. I loved being in the classroom. I always wanted to be a teacher,” Czernicki said.
But she took the step. As she stretched into the coaching position, basically a teacher of teachers, her supervisors urged her to look into continuing her education career as an administrator, arguing that returning to a classroom may be difficult after working as a coach. She followed their advice and opted to get a degree in administration. She attended American International College in Springfield. Luckily, the college had a cohort in Worcester, and she was spared the commute.
After serving as the academic dean of Webster Public Schools, Czernicki changed direction again and accepted a position in Rhode Island, running the K-8 Hope Academy, a nonprofit charter school that integrates students of all abilities. Fully inclusive, the academy is housed in one of the Meeting Street buildings in Providence, an almost hour-long commute from her home.
In assessing her strengths, Czernicki found that she worked better with middle- and high school youth.
“I have great conversations with high school kids, much better than with kindergartners,” Czernicki said. She admitted that she felt awkward and clumsy with the youngest scholars and opted to accept the position at Oxford High when it opened up.
“It’s nice to be back where I started,” Czernicki said. “Now I have a 13-minute drive to work.” And she is transferring her 11-year-old daughter into the district where she works. Her son, 21, attends Nichols College in Dudley.
The principal has just completed her second year in the district and “loves it. I have a great staff, the kids are great, it’s a great environment to work in.”
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Oxford High principal Rebecca Czernicki joins ranks of state's 2024 Commonwealth Heroines
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