Getting To Know . . . Johnstown Teachers' Association President Nancy Lisicki

Nancy Lisicki, an instructional coach in the Greater Johnstown School District. File Photo and Provided

JOHNSTOWN — Nancy Lisicki has been part of the Greater Johnstown School District community for over two decades, first as a teacher and now as an instructional coach aiding teachers in the district and serving as the president of the teacher’s union for the past seven years.

The Johnstown resident says she has no plans to stop anytime soon but adds that she hopes to continue her work post-retirement with the Johnstown Retired Teachers’ Association.

Q: What are the duties in your role as an instructional coach at Pleasant Avenue Elementary?
A: I was a classroom teacher up until last year when I became an instructional coach. It’s really about supporting teachers in their classrooms and really taking good teaching to great teaching by giving them support and strategies and feedback. I support pre-K, kindergarten and (grades) one and two. I was a first-grade teacher for most of my career, all with this district.

Q: What do you enjoy about this new role you have in the district as an instructional coach?
A: I think it’s really about the collaboration. The best professional development any teacher can get is really the teacher down the hall. We are great resources for each other. I do mentor the teachers a little bit, but our district has a very robust mentoring program that’s already been established. Our union worked with the district years ago so that our new teachers get a one-on-one mentor for their first year of teaching. Then they have a small-group mentor available to them up until their fourth year, so there’s a lot of support for teachers.

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Q: What drew you to the education field in the first place?
A: Well, that was a long time ago! I think if you talk to any teacher, they’re going to tell you that they just knew. It drew me in and luckily it’s happened to work out.

Q: How did you become the president of the teachers’ association and what is your role with the organization?
A: I think my involvement in our union has just grown over time. It was just the logical next step. I would say I’m a liaison most of all between our members and the district to really help create an environment where the faculty can teach. Because our number one goal is to promote student success. The district and the teachers’ union share the same vision. We want to promote student success, that’s the main goal.

Q: Can you describe the contributions your fellow members in the union make?
A: I don’t even know where to begin. Our association recognizes that education isn’t contained within just the four walls of the classroom. We are committed to creating a healthy community where our kids can thrive. One of the things that we are heavily involved in is feeding our community. We participate in mass food distributions and collect for the regional food bank on a regular basis. One initiative that’s almost 100 percent union funded is that we sponsor food backpacks for almost 30 families. We promote literacy by distributing hundreds and hundreds of books. Up until the pandemic, every spring we’d do 100 acts of kindness on the 100th day of school. Our goal is to promote student success, and that can’t happen without the passage of the school budget. We support the school budget by setting up voter registration tables and with phone banks to remind people to vote.

Q: How long do you foresee yourself continuing in these roles?
A: It’s going to be a little while until I retire. Johnstown is my home. I would never leave this community. The people here bleed purple and gold. There’s a lot of support for education here and there’s a lot of wonderful history here, which I hope people take a moment to appreciate. We’ve been fortunate over the years that our union has built a very strong relationship with our district, with both the board of education and the district administration. I think that’s why we’re successful.

“Getting To Know …” is a weekly feature spotlighting people making a difference in the lives of others. If there’s someone you think we should feature, let us know by emailing us at [email protected]