In Memoriam: John Stedman

I feel I have missed someone special indeed when I hear members of CAASP who have been here longer than I talk about the “Stedman days”.. I often wondered what that meant and couldn’t wait to meet the famous John Stedman. Alas, due to his illness, I have only met Mr Stedman a few times and did not get to share in his light. But his legacy lives on. I would like to offer a few testaments so that you who knew him will nod vigorously and applaud his memory and those who did not know him will feel motivated and touched by a teacher who truly cared and made a difference. Just by reading the sincere words of John’s colleagues, I am moved to try harder to be the teacher the alternative students need.  If you would like to add your sentiments to the page, please forward them to wscalise@killinglyschools.org.  

Thank you,

Vicki C.Gustavson

President CAASP

A Personal Reflection on John Stedman

    I would not attempt to try and summarize the life and achievements of John Stedman. I knew him as a colleague and friend, and as a fellow social studies teacher. There are many things about John I did not know, and only found out after his passing, such as his love for golf. But as a beginning teacher at Manchester High School, John Stedman (along with his Vertices partner Sue Hardy) was alternative education in Manchester. In the years when alt/ed was only developing in various districts, John and Sue were veterans in the struggle to help students change their attitudes, and thus their lives.

     John remained positive and involved, even after being diagnosed with cancer, and was upbeat the final times I spoke with him. I always felt John knew the fight was worth it, and was empathetic to what we as alt/ed teachers faced on a daily basis. Despite the often uphill battles with everyone from Central Office to students unhappy about their placement, John believed in alternative education and the abilities of students often marginalized by the system to turn their lives around.

     The Connecticut Council for Social Studies now allows students to nominate a social studies teacher for the “John H. Stedman Passion for the Social Studies Teaching Award”, which I’m sure would have made John proud. The only change I think John would have appreciated would be that if the award in his name were given to a student who demonstrated their ability to change their life for the better.

                                                                                                   Al Vicki

John Stedman

John Stedman was part of CAASP before I joined. He was involved in planning the first CAASP conferences. John was always the nuts and bolts man. He would have all the signs made and rooms covered while the rest of us would just be scratching our heads. John always had a lot of ideas about education innovation as well. He helped plan and facilitate the CAASP Staff Development days at Yale. As Al indicated, John had a passion for Social Studies and was active in the state organization. He was well respected in all areas of education. Vertices was his baby and it broke his heart when Manchester started to disassemble it. John was a friend of alternative education and a strong advocate for his students. The last time I talked to him he wanted to start attending CAASP meetings again just to talk to people who cared about kids. Unfortunately his health got in the way.

We will all miss John.

Bill Scalise