Community reacts to teacher's death
Those in the Albany City School District are mourning the loss of one of their favorite teachers who was shot and killed in Western New York over the weekend. David Park died over the weekend in a suburban Buffalo home during what police are calling an apparent home invasion. Our Erin Connolly has more on who David Park was and how the community is remembering him.
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
ALBANY, N.Y. -- It was a tough day for all those who knew David Park, especially for those who had him as a teacher. People we spoke with Monday had nothing but kind words to say.
''He was more than a teacher to my twins. He really was," said Eliza Nance, a parent of two fifth graders at Arbor Hill Elementary School.
Choking back tears, Eliza Nance remembered her twin daughters' teacher, 31-year-old David Park. Park, seen in the picture above with his wife, was in his fourth year as a fifth grade teacher at Arbor Hill Elementary School.
Nance said, ''He helped me and my girls out with our household problems. We spoke to him about situations. Mr. Parks is a good man.''
Many others agree. In fact, last year, Park was given the "Founders Day Award" for excellence in the classroom and his commitment to his students.
First grader teacher Millie Weglowski said, ''Our whole faculty is devastated. We're very much a family here at Arbor Hill, and Dave just fit right into our family. We're all very upset. It's a tough day.''
Arbor Hill Elementary School Principal Rosalind Gaines-Harrell said, ''It's like losing one of your own family members. It's hard to put into words. He was a stand up guy. He did anything that was asked of him and he was a perfectionist.''
And students and staff here aren't just remembering David Park as a great teacher, they're also remembering him as a great coach.
Teaching assistant Kellan Johnson said, ''The whole time coaching with him, his whole motivation was the kids. Kids first through everything.''
Nance said, ''He wasn't only a teacher; he was a basketball coach. He was loved, and he will be missed.''
And for those who knew Park, they know he cannot be replaced.
Gaines-Harrell said, ''Those are big shoes to fill, very very big shoes to fill.''
Weglowski said, ''It's not just a loss for the children that have him now, it's a loss for the children that will never have him.''
Grief counselors were made available to all students and staff at Arbor Hill Elementary and Albany High School. To keep the memory of Park alive, students wrote letters to his family.