Tuesday, June 2, 2020

A very different end to the school year

Much to catch up on

You may have noticed that I have been away from my blog for several weeks. Not intentionally, but because – and this seems counter intuitive – I have been busier than ever since Governor Andrew Cuomo shut down schools in mid-March in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 in New York.

Much of these past 10 weeks I have likened to drinking from a fire hose – trying to navigate the uncharted waters of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has completely changed the way we operate both as a school community and also as a society.

My leadership team and I have dedicated countless hours (one day I sat in on nine Zoom meetings, has to be a record!) to planning, organizing and communicating in response to executive orders that closed our schools for two-week increments at first – and then finally on May 1 – the Governor announced that all schools would remain closed through the end of the academic year.

The announcement came on a Friday afternoon, but the full weight of that edict really didn’t hit me until the following Monday when I walked into the high school building and the halls and classrooms were dead silent. Not a soul – adult or child – in sight. I know that I am not alone in feeling this emptiness, as I have heard from many Watervliet educators who tell me they miss being in the classrooms and miss their students terribly.

Learning at home

Throughout the closure, schools have been required to provide continuity of instruction for all of our students. We had to develop a learning plan and submit it to the State Education Department for approval. Remote learning is at the center of our plan. Since March, we have provided 900 laptops to students so they have access to online learning at home. I know this hasn’t been an easy transition for anyone involved: not students, not teachers and certainly not parents who, in many cases, have had to take on the role of teacher for their kids in addition to other responsibilities. My sincere thanks to our teachers, parents and families for your efforts to engage students in learning during these uniquely challenging times. Everyone has adapted to this new environment and made it work – and we are grateful for your partnership, your patience and your perseverance.
In addition to the academic piece, it has been important for us to try our best to meet the social-emotional and mental health needs of our students who may be struggling with stress and anxiety due to this new paradigm. I am especially proud of our school support team of social workers, counselors, and other support professionals who jumped into action to connect with families and offer assistance.

Feeding children

As we approach the 20,000 meal mark, I have one word for our food service workers: Amazing! Our food service staff has worked non-stop to prepare nearly 2,000 meals – breakfast and lunch – per week since our schools closed to make sure no child in our community is without food. Our bus drivers deliver meals to dedicated stops throughout the city to better meet the needs of families. Our Food is Fuel backpack program also continues to provide non-perishable food items to students and families to alleviate food insecurity during the weekends.

Silver lining

If there is a silver lining to this very dark cloud, it is that all of us have really pulled together as a community. #VlietNeverGivesUp is more than a hashtag, it has become a mantra. Board member Amanda Cavanaugh and teacher Meg Fronzek spearheaded the #VlietNeverGivesUp campaign early on in the statewide shutdown to support not only our students and families, but our local businesses, as well. This dynamic duo raised thousands of dollars through t-shirt sales and used the proceeds to buy gift cards to local businesses. The gift cards were then distributed to students and families to provide meals and help keep our local businesses afloat, given the mandated closure.

Amanda and Meg also organized a pop-up food pantry that operates three days per week out of Watervliet Elementary School. Families may stop by Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays to pick up food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, books and other necessities. Donations are always welcome!

Graduation for Class of 2020

My heart is heavy for our students who have had their lives disrupted, turned upside down because of circumstances that are fully beyond anyone’s control. I especially feel for the Class of 2020, whose final year of high school should be about celebrating milestones and making memories, rather than questioning if, how and when they will be able to move on to the next chapter in their life, be it college or careers.

Earlier this month, we delivered graduate lawn signs to members of our Class of 2020. It was bittersweet, but so worth the laughter and the tears to honor our soon-to-be graduates in a way that has been a longstanding tradition in our district.
The celebration doesn’t stop with the signs. Our class advisers and administrators are busy putting the finishing touches on plans to celebrate the Class of 2020 with a ceremony. It will look much differently than commencements of years’ past because we are required to follow the Governor’s executive orders, as well as Albany County Department of Health guidelines, to adhere to social distancing protocols and other practices to protect the health and safety of everyone involved. I would just ask that students, parents, families, teachers and staff keep this in mind as we roll out the plan for a non-traditional commencement that we anticipate will take place on June 17.

Moving Up Ceremonies

Parents, families, teachers and staff will be invited to participate in upcoming virtual Moving Up ceremonies for Prekindergarten and Grade 6 students.

Prekindergarten Moving Up Live via YouTube is scheduled to take place on Monday, June 15, with four ceremonies that will take place starting at 9 a.m. and proceed each half-hour by classroom. UPK Director Kirsten DeMento will share details with our prekindergarten families.

The Grade 6 celebration will be on Tuesday, June 16 at 9 a.m. Watervliet Elementary Principal Kelly Webster will share more information directly with grade 6 families about the ceremony that will be livestreamed via YouTube.

More information is posted on our district website

Questions swirl about reopening of schools in September

Inquiring minds want to know if we will return to school in the traditional sense in the fall. Even though this school year isn’t quite finished, we are beginning to consider what education in our schools may look like for our students, teachers and staff come September. Planning to reopen schools is in the very preliminary stages and is subject to change in time as we receive more guidance from state and federal agencies (Center for Disease Control) about guidelines that must be met before teachers or students return to school. We have formed a task force to identify best practices for how we can re-imagine education for September that will consider logistics such as adhering to social distancing protocols, wearing face coverings, and developing more effective disinfecting and cleaning procedures. We will continue to communicate about this moving forward throughout the summer. I welcome any ideas or constructive feedback on reopening schools that you would like to share with me and our task force. Please send me an email at lcaplan@vlietschools.org, or post a comment in the box at the end of this blog.

Final thoughts

I have a few final thoughts to share about current events unrelated to COVID-19. My heart is heavy and my mind is racing for the burden that black and brown communities everywhere are shouldering right now following the tragic and callous death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis last week. I cannot pretend to fully understand the disenfranchisement that black and brown people have experienced over the course of history.  What I do know is that I feel outrage by the violence that took place in our country this weekend, following peaceful protests that were organized, strategic, and purposeful. People of all races must refuse to be silent and vow to confront racism when we see it. We must put our words into action … our students’ lives depend on it. Please read my message to the Watervliet community

I leave you with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr:
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Where do you stand? …

Please be safe, stay strong and take good care of each other!
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Friday, February 14, 2020

Capital project gets the green light; school budget development begins

I want to thank community members who came out to vote on our recent capital project referendum. District residents gave the green light to the $9.9 million capital project on Feb. 4 with a supermajority vote (more than 60%), which is required of small city school districts. Despite the low turnout, a total of 198 votes were cast, I am grateful that we had the support needed to be able to move forward with this essential work and repairs that will make our buildings safer, healthier and run more efficiently.

With the capital project vote now behind us, the district leadership team and I have turned our focus to developing next year’s school budget. As in years past, we will be seeking the support of state legislators to increase funding for K-12 education as they hammer out an agreement on the state budget. In mid-January, the governor presented his executive budget proposal, which signaled the start of the state budget process for the legislature. April 1 is the deadline to reach a state budget deal. Once that is approved, we will receive conclusive information on the amount of state aid we can expect and finalize our 2020-21 school budget proposal. The public will have the opportunity to vote on the school budget on Tuesday, May 19.

The governor’s proposal includes an $826 million increase in overall education funding for the 2020-21 school year, which is a 3 percent increase from the current year’s budget. While this sounds like a significant increase, keep in mind there are approximately 700 school districts across New York that share in the allocation of state aid.

The aid proposed by the governor falls far short of the $2 billion increase recommended by the New York State Board of Regents for the 2020-21 year; and also, the $2.1 billion increase the Educational Conference Board (ECB) has declared is necessary to allow schools to maintain current services and expand opportunities and support for students. (The ECB is a coalition of six leading educational organizations that represents parents, classroom teachers, school-related professionals, building administrators, superintendents and school boards from around the state.)

In his executive budget address, the governor highlighted more “equity” between wealthy districts and poorer districts as a major priority. As the leader of a small urban district, equity is a concept that I continue to fight for, given that we have limited resources and serve many students who live in poverty. The governor has also committed to continue the state’s investment in prekindergarten and after school programs, which I wholeheartedly support because these programs directly benefit our students and families.

Another priority outlined in the governor’s executive budget proposal, however, causes great concern for all school districts: consolidating and/or slowing the growth of certain reimbursements to schools. Under the governor’s plan expense-based aids, including BOCES programs and services, software, hardware, textbook and library purchases, and supplemental public excess cost (reimbursements for certain expenses associated with students with disabilities), would be consolidated – this will make budgeting for certain expenses significantly more challenging. His plan would also place a cap on growth in future reimbursements for student transportation, based on an inflation factor and enrollment growth, and create a new tier of reimbursement levels for school construction projects (fortunately, this would not apply to our recently approved capital project).

As always, I encourage community members to be involved and informed as we develop our school budget. Please attend our March Board of Education meeting for an update from our Assemblyman John McDonald on the state budget process and his thoughts on the legislature’s position on state aid for our schools.

Finally, a shout out to an amazing tradition at Watervliet Jr.-Sr. High School: Singing Valentines courtesy of the phenomenal Delta Force and our awesome music teacher Terry Bradway. Thank you for performing throughout our school and making Valentine's Day special for students and staff alike.

To our students, teachers, staff and families – I hope you have a relaxing and fun February break! 
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Friday, December 20, 2019

Holiday Thoughts: It Takes A Village

This month and throughout the first half of this school year, I find myself using the hashtag #ItTakesAVillage in many of my tweets (I hope you are following me on Twitter). This well-known African proverb essentially means that it is the responsibility of an entire community to look out for and support children so that they experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment.

When I think of our community, and the acts of kindness and generosity from our students, staff and families, especially around this special time of year, I am truly humbled. The spirit of “It Takes a Village” is demonstrated daily in our schools. Recently, we collected snow boots and jackets to provide to students who lack warm winter wear. In October, Spanish teacher Meg Fronczek started a Crocs and Socks campaign after noticing students coming into school on rainy days with wet sneakers and socks. Many of our teachers and support staff stepped up donating hundreds of pairs of socks and Crocs so now our students have access to dry socks and a pair of comfortable Crocs they can borrow during the school day, giving their socks and sneakers or shoes a chance to dry before the walk home.
This December, both our schools (WES, WJSHS) again participated in adopt-a family efforts to purchase gifts for children of local families in need and help make their holidays brighter. Through the adopt-a-family at WJSHS, 45 children from the Watervliet Housing Authority received two to three presents each (toys and clothing) delivered by Santa and Mrs. Claus a week before the holiday. Meanwhile, a total of 40 children were provided gifts between the school and community adopt-a-family effort at Watervliet Elementary School. My sincere thanks to our teachers and staff for their continued support that brings smiles to the faces of some of our neediest students and their siblings.

I tweeted about the many good deeds performed by our students as they gave back to their community throughout December:

WHS students serve holiday lunch at Watervliet Senior Center
The Cannoneer Chorus sings at Watervliet Senior Center
WES student ambassadors deliver holiday beauty to residents of Watervliet Housing
WES students collect pajamas for Unity House

Looking ahead to 2020: Capital Project Vote

Earlier this month, the Board of Education voted on a resolution that would authorize $9.99 million in capital improvements for Watervliet Jr.-Sr. High School and Watervliet Elementary School. District residents will have an opportunity to vote on the referendum Tuesday, February 4.

Unlike our last facilities improvements that included big-ticket, highly-visible improvements like the turf field and the track, the project we are proposing now is best described as “no-frills” because it addresses the district’s most immediate facilities needs, as identified in the latest building condition survey: aging infrastructure, and health and safety improvements.

A building condition survey is a thorough inspection conducted by a team made up of at least one architect or engineer and certain district staff. The State Education Department requires all school districts in the state to submit a building condition survey every five years to collect information on the district's infrastructure and prioritize facility needs district-wide. The data collected helps district officials assess current conditions of program spaces and major building systems to prioritize the most essential repairs and restorations.

From January through June, a Facilities Advisory Committee that included school leaders, teachers, maintenance staff, school board members, students and parents, met with our district’s architectural consultants to take a deeper dive into our facility and maintenance needs and make recommendations to present to the Board. Factors considered by the committee included protecting the health and safety of students, staff and school visitors; systems and equipment that have reached or are near the end-of-life expectancy; deteriorating building components; and the ability to service or repair outdated equipment.

The final project scope includes such items as roof replacement at both buildings; replacing elevators at the elementary school and renovating the high school elevator; heating and ventilation systems work; and drainage at the elementary school playground. Visit our website for more information on the project scope

State building aid would cover 95 percent of the cost of the proposed capital project. The remaining 5 percent of the project would be funded through a 1.06% increase in the overall property tax levy, based on the current tax cap data for the district.

We invite you to learn more about the proposed capital project at two presentations scheduled for January 7, 2020 and January 16, 2020 at Watervliet Elementary School. I encourage you to attend and ask questions to make an informed decision when you vote in February.

School Budget Development

Also, in January we will be diving into the 2020-21 school budget development process. The Capital Region BOCES Superintendents’ Legislative Committee, which I help lead with Niskayuna’s superintendent of schools, met recently with NYS Senator Shelly B. Mayer, who chairs the State Senate Education Committee, to discuss foundation aid formula and other educational priorities. This is ahead of Governor Cuomo’s State of the State, which he will deliver in early January. My administrative team and I will pay close attention to that address for information that will guide our budget development for the coming school year. The state reportedly is facing a $6 billion budget gap, so we will have to wait and see how that impacts school aid.

Happy holidays to all!

I hope you will take time this holiday season to reflect upon the positive aspects of your lives, and enjoy the most precious gift of all—time spent with family and friends. May you all enjoy a relaxing and peaceful holiday season.

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Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Conversations provide opportunities to raise awareness, promote healing

After nearly three decades in education, I was certain that I had experienced all the aha moments I was ever going to have. A few weeks ago, however, I found myself sitting in a circle discussion with high school students, staff and community members that turned out to be one of the most powerful experiences of my career.

As the conversation progressed, the diverse group of students began to open up and share some of their most personal stories. Each student spoke about some type of trauma – in some cases, a combination of adversities – that have had a profound impact on them.

I don’t often get emotional, but was literally brought to tears as I listened to the conversations. Happy tears because I was so proud of their courage and honesty, and sad tears because it was heartbreaking to hear some of the awful experiences these children have lived through and/or witnessed in their short lives.

Understanding adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is critical to the work we do as educators. ACEs are defined as traumatic events such as violence, abuse, or neglect that children experience throughout their young lives. Growing up in an environment with substance abuse, mental health problems, or instability due to parental separation or incarceration of a parent, sibling, or other close family member can undermine a child’s sense of safety and stability. Abuse, neglect and household dysfunction can happen anywhere; and sadly, for many of our students, it is a reality. It's important for us to understand how these experiences impact a student’s well-being and their ability to learn.

Children who have experienced trauma often think and act differently. More often than not, learning can be a big struggle for them. Once trauma is identified as the source of negative or destructive behavior, however, we can adapt our approach to better support students in school.

As a school community, we continue to raise our own awareness of the impact of ACES on our students. We have participated in trainings to learn more about trauma-informed practices in our classrooms. My hope is that the more teachers and staff understand our students’ experiences, the more we can assist in meeting their needs and support them in being successful.

Since that initial conversation in September, students and staff members have gathered in smaller groups to discuss the challenges, the concerns and the struggles our young people face. They have had the courage to address topics that are routinely avoided in conversation, including race, diversity, poverty, and sexual identity.

These conversations are one component of our district’s strategic goal to support students in a safe and positive school environment. Students with traumatic backgrounds benefit from restorative practices, such as these circle discussions, rather than punitive approaches to discipline. To quote a restorative justice coordinator from the New York City Department of Education: “Relying solely on punishment leaves out the important and healing lessons that students of trauma so desperately need.”

Through these discussions, I have learned how incredibly brave our students are, and the reality of how harsh and cruel this world can be to young people. At the same time, I am inspired by their resilience and their determination as they show up for school every day. Which is why we owe it to our students to do whatever it takes to create a safe and supportive learning environment for every student, every day.
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Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Ready, set, go! The start of the 2019-20 school year is here

It is hard to believe that another summer has flown by and a new school year is upon us. I am excited to welcome back students and staff for the 2019-2020 school year! I hope that our educators and staff, as well as our students and their families took time to relax and enjoy vacations and other fun summer adventures together and that you return to school rejuvenated and eager to teach and to learn.

I thank our 12-month staff and my administrators who worked throughout the summer preparing for the start of the new school year. The leadership team has been hard at work hiring new teachers and staff, overseeing summer programs in both buildings, as well as attending and facilitating professional development. Thanks as well to our school bus drivers who provided transportation for summer programs and our cafeteria workers who prepared summer meals for students. I also thank our maintenance staff and student work crews who worked diligently during the past several weeks to clean and prep our buildings for opening day on Wednesday, Sept. 4.

Power of communication

As mentioned in my previous blog, thanks to a scholarship from NYSCOSS I traveled to Switzerland in July for a leadership conference with several of my superintendent colleagues from New York. Visiting historic sites and breathtaking landscapes was amazing, but the Leadership Summit during our final three days was one of the most inspiring and powerful events I have participated in throughout my nearly three decades as an educator. The summit brought together students and educators from around the globe to consider “The Power of Communication” and its impact on the world. This is a theme that I plan to explore further this year with teachers and staff as we consider how communication applies to the work we do every day.

One way is doing our best to understand the unspoken messages that our students send without saying a word. As adults and as educators, it is our responsibility to pick up on these messages, build appropriate relationships with our students and learn all we can about them in an effort to best serve them. Another way is to make sure that we build and maintain open lines of communication with parents and caregivers to strengthen the home-school connection. There is a plethora of research that shows parental involvement in education is an important factor in student success. So let’s start making that connection with parents early in the school year, especially for our at-risk students.

Summer book club a best seller!

Speaking of powerful — our summer book club was a huge success! From mid-July through mid-August, students, teachers and administrators packed classrooms each week to discuss the “The Hate U Give” by Angie Davis. I applaud our English department teachers for selecting this contemporary novel with its relevant and engaging themes for teenage readers. I was able to participate in a few of the hour-long discussions and was impressed with the thoughtful, respectful and honest conversations that occurred among students and staff. Student interest and turnout for summer book club definitely exceeded our expectations!!

Welcome to our new staff!

Lastly, I am filled with excitement about the new educators who will be joining us this year. They come from diverse backgrounds, some have experience in this field and some are just beginning their careers. I encourage our veteran teachers and staff to offer them your support and show your collaborative spirit.

I look forward to serving my eighth year as your superintendent and remain fully committed to our mission of challenging, inspiring and educating every student, every day. I feel strongly this will be our best year yet for a multitude of reasons! Welcome back everyone!
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Monday, July 22, 2019

Global learning experience


As educators, we often encourage students to continue learning over the summer break. I took that advice to heart earlier this month when I traveled to Switzerland as part of an international education conference. Thanks to a scholarship from the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS), I was afforded the remarkable opportunity to participate in the Global Leadership Summit with several of my colleagues from around the state.

The learning experience began with our first day landing in Geneva when we toured the Cathedral of Coure de Saint-Pierre in Geneva, a Gothic cathedral that became the adopted church of John Calvin, a leader of the Protestant Reformation. Such rich history!

The next stop was Lausanne and a visit to the Rolex Learning Center on the campus of Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), one of Europe's most famous science and technology institutions. The Rolex Learning Center, with its innovative and energy-efficient design, functions as a laboratory for learning, a library and an international cultural hub for EPFL that is open to both students and the public. On our walking tour of Lausanne, which runs along Lake Geneva and has the Swiss Alps in view, we visited many cathedrals and churches that overlook the city, as well as green grass and flowers that blanket the entire city.

From Lausanne, we headed to Zermatt where we rode a Matterhorn cable car to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. Many of us went tubing down parts of the Matterhorn as well as climbed through glaciers.  At the peak of the Matterhorn, on the viewing deck, we were able to look down on the Swiss, Italian and French Alps.

Next, we traveled to the city of Lucerne, a city famous for its medieval architecture. We walked the Chapel Bridge, which is the longest and oldest covered wooden footbridge of its kind in Europe. The bridge, with its decorative interior paintings, spans the River Reuss. We then visited another iconic site ‒ and my most favorite ‒ the Lion Monument, a large stone carving along the side of a cliff. This monument, which is a tribute to Swiss mercenaries who were killed or executed during the French revolution, depicts a dying lion impaled by a spear and his expression is visceral.

Our tour continued in Zurich with a stop at the Education First headquarters. While there, our group of New York superintendents met with counterparts from Ohio and discussed a variety of topics including best practices in education, the pros and cons of the education systems in our respective states, and the power of communication. Later that day, we took a relaxing cruise on Lake Zurich where we were able to network with colleagues and enjoy the picturesque scenery.

The following day we visited Liechtenstein, which is one of the smallest states in Europe, adding another stamp to our passports. Located between Austria and Switzerland, this small country is home to about 5,000 residents. While in Liechtenstein, we visited the National Museum and its famous collection of bejeweled Easter eggs.

Later that week, our group joined teachers and students from North America and Europe in Davos, Switzerland for a three-day leadership conference. We heard from such inspirational speakers as slam poet Clint Smith, journalist Ann Curry, musician Kai Kight, and a panel of young adult activists including David Hogg, former Parkland student and the cofounder of March for Our Lives. As part of the leadership summit, the 2,000-plus international students were assigned to groups and worked tirelessly on projects based on the summit theme: “The Power of Communication.”  The final day of the summit, educators worked with the student groups who presented their proposed solutions to global communications challenges. We were asked to listen to each group’s one-minute pitch of their product/idea that would improve communication and offer our feedback. We rated the student projects, and the top 10 groups were asked to deliver their one-minute pitch on stage. A panel of judges comprised of the guest speakers and Education First guides then selected the winning project. That project will be on display in the Nobel Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.

I found the Leadership Summit so impactful because students were working on real-life, hands-on projects for the entire weekend. They all embraced working in and collaborating with diverse groups – it didn’t even matter that it was a Saturday! What stood out most to me was the energy in each room that I visited. It caused me to pause and ask, ‘why can’t every classroom look like this?’ Students were having fun learning, collaborating and problem solving. They were so proud of their creations and were accepting of the feedback that educators shared with them. It’s important that in Watervliet we strive toward creating learning spaces where students can be creative and motivated while learning. In an ideal world, I would love for students in Watervliet to travel outside the U.S.  Until that becomes a reality, we must work hard to bring these types of world experiences to them.

I am so grateful to have had this unforgettable experience, and for the connections, comradery and collegiality that I experienced among our group of 20-some educational leaders, and with the students and educators from other parts of the world. Oh, did I mention the Swiss chocolate? Yeah, that was pretty fantastic, too!
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Thursday, June 20, 2019

Congratulations Class of 2019!

The end of the school year is always a bittersweet time. Next week, we bid farewell to group of about 100 high school seniors who we have been educating, inspiring and challenging for the past 13 years of their lives. As the Class of 2019 prepares to move on from Watervliet High School, I wish them all the best in the next chapter, whether that be college, the workforce, or the military. The WHS commencement begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26 in the Harry Tucker gymnasium.

Reflecting back on a busy 2018-19 school year


As the 2018-19 school year comes to a close, I want to take this opportunity to look back on the year that was, and take note of several successful initiatives that were launched this year. 

We expanded the What I Need (WIN) program, which has been greatly beneficial for elementary students, to junior high school students (grades 7-8). The Win program offers additional support to students who need it in English language arts and math. 

Also at the junior high and high school level, we introduced a school mentoring program for all students in grades 7-11. Every teacher and administrator, as well as instructional support staff, agreed to be a mentor to at least one student this year. The purpose of the mentor program is to build personal relationships with students and provide positive supports that will help them feel more connected to school, and in turn, improve attendance and student engagement in learning.

School Based Health Center continues to serve students

Whitney Young began operating a school-based health center in our school district in September. The program currently provides health services to about 60 percent of our students. As mentioned in my previous blogs, the school-based health center is located at Watervliet Jr./Sr. High School, but serves all students, prekindergarten through grade 12, whose parents enroll them in the program. The school-based health center provides immunizations and physicals required for school, and there is never a co-pay or an out-of-pocket cost for any SBHC services! We are hoping to expand the enrollment so that we can provide a health center on-site at Watervliet Elementary School. The health center is possible through a partnership between our school district and Whitney Young Health.

PTECH to begin year two

Eleven of our students recently completed their first year in the Capital Region Pathways in Technology Early High School (P-TECH) program. I am so proud of our students who are on their way to earning both their high school diploma and an associate’s degree from HVCC in information technology through this four- to six-year program (grades 9-14).

About a dozen incoming ninth-graders will enter the PTECH program in September. To prepare for the program, the students will participate in a week-long Summer Bridge program during where they will have an opportunity to get to know their classmates better, meet the program’s business and education partners, and be immersed in fun STEM-based and team-building activities.

On the Move


The Board of Education, upon my recommendation, recently appointed Don Stevens to the position of assistant superintendent from director of curriculum and instruction. In this new role, Mr. Stevens will continue to administer all things related to curriculum, instruction and professional development with added leadership responsibilities.

Also, you may recall in January Kelly Webster moved from assistant principal at Watervliet Jr.-Sr. High School to principal at Watervliet Elementary School ‒ and she is doing a fantastic job there!

In other administrative news, beginning July 1, Michael Foust will become the assistant principal at WES, and David Wareing will return to the assistant principal position at WJSHS and take on the role of Athletic Coordinator. Over the summer, we will hire an assistant principal to fill Mrs. Webster’s former spot at WJSHS.

Farewell to our retiring educators, staff members


It is also a time to say good-bye to this year’s retirees and thank them for their years of service to the district and commitment to our students. Congratulations and best wishes to WHS social studies teacher Scott Burke and technology teacher Joe Facin; WES reading teacher Michaeleen Backus and cafeteria worker Elizabeth Sutherland.

Before they officially head out for a well-deserved summer vacation, I want to recognize our teachers and instructional support staff for the dedication, talent, energy and care they bring to educating our diverse student population. I value your efforts and your commitment to making a positive difference for every student, every day.

Thanks for supporting education


Finally, on behalf of the Board of Education, I thank everyone who took time to participate in the school budget vote and Board of Education election on May 21. I am grateful for the continued community support for our schools.

To our students, teachers and 10-month staffers, please enjoy a relaxing, safe and fun summer! We will do this all again starting in September.
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