On Tuesday, Sept. 7, I will greet students for my “last” first day of school as Superintendent of the Watervliet City Schools.
This past year and a half has been the most challenging of all my 30 years as an educator, 16 serving as Watervliet High School principal and then Superintendent of Schools. Our teachers and staff have been strong, courageous and compassionate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been and continue to remain focused on our mission to inspire, challenge and education every student, every day. This year especially, as we return to full in-person teaching and learning, we are committed to building relationships with our students, supporting their social, emotional and mental well-being, and providing a safe and healthy learning environment for all.
At the close of the last school year, we believed that the worst was behind us. With the vaccine available and COVID infections on the decline, we were hopeful for a return to normalcy in the 2021-22 school year. Instead, we are again dealing with high infection and transmission rates in Albany County and surrounding areas due to the Delta variant of COVID-19. This means that we will begin another school year with masks and other health and safety protocols in effect for the foreseeable future. I am not here to debate the efficacy of masking and other safety measures meant to protect the health of students and staff. What I do know is that last year, we were able to keep our schools open for teaching and learning with minimal disruption mainly because of the protocols we had in place. This year, as we return to in-person instruction, there is no debate: we will continue to do what is best for the health and safety of children. I thank our parents, families and the community for putting your faith in us and for your support of our decisions.
In approximately eight weeks, I will hand over the leadership baton to current assistant superintendent Donald Stevens, Jr. I am more than confident in Mr. Stevens’ abilities to lead the district forward in these still uncertain times. He has served our school community in several capacities during his tenure here, from his start as a sixth-grade teacher to earning his administrative certification and becoming the district’s director of UPK and Literacy, then moving to the role of Director of Curriculum and Instruction before being named Assistant Superintendent in 2019. Last year, he juggled his role of Assistant Superintendent and all that comes with it while serving as the district’s COVID-19 Safety Coordinator, which was no small feat. Mr. Stevens accomplished this while successfully pursuing his doctorate in education. His passion is education and he has proven himself time and again to be an advocate for the city’s children, our teachers, staff and families. When our Board of Education unanimously appointed Mr. Stevens as superintendent in August – they knew there was no better candidate for the job!
My tenure in the district will draw to a close at the end of October. I want to thank our teachers, staff, students, families and the Watervliet community for allowing me to be a part of your lives for the past 16 years. It has been an honor and privilege to lead the Watervliet City Schools, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to serve this wonderful small city school district and community.
My deepest gratitude and warm regards!
Dr. Lori S. Caplan
