District welcomes new supervisors, announces cost-saving staffing adjustments
Release Date: July 12, 2010
As the district welcomes two new subject supervisors to replace recently-retired academic leaders, it is also announcing some administrative and supervisory staffing adjustments in an effort to operate as efficiently as possible.
These adjustments primarily have to do with moving existing staff into new roles to capitalize on opportunities to save money while still providing students and staff the support they need.
In the area of academic department supervision, the district is welcoming new math supervisor David Hurst, who is replacing retiring supervisor Greg Sterling, and new English language arts supervisor Julie Heller, who will also serve in a K-12 capacity.
Heller was most recently the K-12 coordinator of English language arts and library research in the Schenectady City School District. Prior to that, she was the K-12 ELA supervisor in the Mohonasen Central School District.
Heller was initially hired to replace BC's retiring Secondary ELA Supervisor Anthony Bango. After she was named to the position, however, Elementary ELA Supervisor Patty Skiba decided to return to an elementary classroom teaching position, providing the district an opportunity to save $100,000 by converting the two positions into a K-12 job.
In this role, Heller will supervise secondary ELA teachers and work collaboratively with elementary principals to provide support and direction to reading teachers at that level.
"I'm honored to be joining a team of such accomplished professionals," Heller said. "The dedication Bethlehem's reading and English teachers have to increasing the depth and breadth of students' literacy skills as a means of preparing them to be successful members of this 21st century is exciting, and I look forward to being a part of this initiative."
New Math Supervisor David Hurst comes to the district from the East Greenbush Central School District, where he has been the director of mathematics, science, and technology since 2009.
"I am very excited to begin working with the many talented people of the Bethlehem Central School District and to be contributing my experiences and abilities to its continued success," Hurst said.
Additional changes
As part of the Board of Education's 2010-11 budget development process, it identified a series of reductions across the district at all levels and areas. Among these cuts was a one of the two house leader positions at BCMS, which will save the district about $80,000.
The elimination of this position has resulted in BCMS House Leader David Zadoorian moving to BCHS, where he will fill the administrative dean position held last year by Penny Hardenstine.
"While it's not easy to leave BCMS, I am excited to have the opportunity to be part of helping our students grow and develop at the next stage of their lives and academic careers," Mr. Zadoorian said. "I am also very much looking forward to working with the leadership team and staff at Bethlehem Central High School. I believe the relationships that I have formed with current and upcoming High School students and parents during my time at BCMS will be of great benefit to the kids and I as we move up to the BCHS together."
Also at BCHS, a vacancy created by the resignation of Committee on Special Education Chairperson Kerri Brown will not be filled. Instead, the two remaining chairs - Kathleen Johnston and Michele Goldman - will cover all eight district schools. Johnston is assigned to the elementary level and Goldman the secondary level, covering BCMS and BCHS.
For 2009-10, Goldman served as the High School Counseling Center supervisor through her position in the Pupil Personnel Service department. District officials have decided that the Counseling Center would benefit from some in-house coordination, a part-time role that longtime counselor Gayle Moriarity has been named to fill. She will continue to spend the balance of her time as a counselor.
Superintendent Michael Tebbano summed up these changes — essentially additional reductions in administrative and supervisory staffing — by saying that they are signs of the difficult fiscal landscape districts everywhere are experiencing.
"The times simply call for us to provide as much support for students and staff as possible with fewer resources, and that's exactly what we will continue to do," Dr. Tebbano said. "These changes are a signal to our community that we are always looking for ways to operate more efficiently and save money while continuing to provide a high-quality education to all students."