New History Teacher Steps Up
NEIRAD enilno edition
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Just a few short days before the beginning of the school year, Mr Mark Stepsis received the good news he would be the newest addition to the faculty of the Social Studies Department. This opening occurred when history teacher Dana Altshuler emailed the school five days before the new year, saying that she had spent the summer in California and realized she wanted to make it her new home.
But Ms. Altshuler still leaves a bit of heart at DHS with the students whom she will miss.“She really enjoyed the students at DHS,” History Department coordinator Ms. Jean Shortliffe said.
The history department wasn't the only ones concerned by this change of plans. Some seniors worried that Ms. Altshuler may not be available to their recommendations. Ms. Shortliffe has reassured the seniors that Ms. Altshuler has agreed to honor this commitment to the students. Ms. Altshuler could not be reached by email for comment about the recommendations, but senior Emily Green, who has been in contact with Ms. Altshuler, said reassuringly, “Ms Altshuler is definitely writing a recommendation for me.”
Mr. Stepsis has stepped in to Miss Altshuler’s role teaching two sections of American Studies (co-taught with English Department Coordinator Doug Paulsen and Mr. Jamie Coleman); one section of U.S. History 200; and one section of Law and Government 200.When Neirad asked Mr. Stepsis if he was surprised to be offered the job on such short notice, he noted that there are “always surprise openings around the start of a school year,” and was “very pleased to be in the right place at the right time for the opening at DHS.”
However, finding a replacement for Ms. Altshuler was not easy. Ms. Shortliffe and her colleagues had to work hard to find a person by August 31st.
The tight economy made the search somewhat easier. There were more teachers on the market since the state has fewer job openings and a flood of teachers who lost their jobs due to staff cuts last June. Despite the tight job market, Ms. Shortliffe was still concerned that some applicants may be reluctant to leave the job security of their current schools. “I didn’t expect that people would be available,” she said. “But they were.”
Mr. Stepsis went to Williams College and graduated with a B.A. with Honors in political science; received an M.A. in history from New York University, and completed coursework in a doctoral program in American history at Fordham University.Before coming to DHS, Mr. Stepsis taught at Fairfield Prep for nearly 10 years. He then became the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid there until 2002.
In addition to his work at Fairfield Prep, Mr. Stepsis taught as an adjunct professor at Fairfield University for 14 years and also worked for one year at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford.
Ironically, however, his most recent teaching job was as a long-term sub at New Canaan High School. “Don’t hold this against me!” Mr Stepsis jokingly quipped.So far, it doesn’t seem as though the DHS community has held his stint in New Canaan against him.
“The DHS community has been very welcoming and supportive. I very much enjoy getting to know my students and sharing my love of history with them,” Mr. Stepsis said.
