What is Happening at C-A?
Recent Highlights of the District
August 25, 2010
2010-2011
School Year.
All staff members will
report for Superintendent’s Conference Days on Wednesday, September 1,
and Tuesday, September 7, 2010. The opening of school for students will
take place on Wednesday, September 8, 2010. Supply lists for students
are posted on the web pages of the various schools.
District At A Glance.
“District At A Glance,”
the 2009-2010 Annual Report of the Coxsackie – Athens Central School
District, can be found under the link for Curriculum & Instruction. It
showcases the Points of Pride and rising quality of student achievement
of the District.
The Business Review Schools Report.
The Coxsackie –
Athens Central School District has risen in ranking from 54th
in 2009 to 31st in 2010 among 85 schools in the Capital
District region according to The Business Review Schools Report. “This
ranking,” according to Earle S. Gregory, Superintendent of Schools, “can
be attributed to the progress the District’s students are making under
the Strategic Plan that has been in place for three years. Board of
Education and staff members are delighted with the improvement in
student performance over the past several years.” The report can be
read in its entirety at:
http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/reports/schools/district_ranks.html?date=2010-05-31&filename=.html
Race to the Top Winner.
New York was one of nine
states and the District of Columbia to win the second – round
competition for Federal Race to the Top funds. The State’s application
was stronger than the first round due to raising expectations for the
use of data, planning for an enhanced evaluation system of teachers and
principals, and raising the cap on the number of charter schools allowed
in New York State. As one of the districts in which the Board of
Education and Superintendent signed on to a memorandum of understanding
in support of the State’s application, the District looks forward to
learning what amount of funding will come to C-A in response to a plan
the District will develop. “These funds will help us to do a better job
with kids,” remarked Superintendent Earle Gregory.
Repair and Renovation Project.
Phase I of the Repair and
Renovation Project has been proceeding well throughout the summer
months. The shingled roofing on the High School and a portion of the
Middle School has been completed. Contractors continue work on flat
roofs at the High School. Barring any severe weather conditions, the
roofing work should be nearing completion by the start of the new school
year. In addition, the District learned on August 24, 2010, that
NYSERDA has given final approval to the Photovoltaic component of the
project. Installation of solar panels should be completed by
Thanksgiving, some two to three months ahead of the dates set on the
milestone schedule prepared by the architectural firm.
New York State District Report Card.
The New York State
District Report Cards have been released. The reports include a
district profile, district accountability status, and a review of
overall district performance. C-A continues to meet or exceed all 28
accountability measures, and the overall district performance on
assessments is at or above the expectations of the State of New York.
To review the district’s report card, any interested person could go to
this address: www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/reportcard/
and go to New York State School Report Card for School Year 2008-2009.
Retirement of Superintendent of Schools.
The Coxsackie – Athens
Central School District’s Board of Education accepted a letter of
resignation for retirement from Superintendent of Schools, Earle S.
Gregory, on August 24, 2010. Dr. Gregory will conclude his duties on
December 31, 2010. In a message in which he informed staff members of
his pending retirement, Gregory stated, “I
will remember my work with Coxsackie-Athens students and staff members
for many years. With the focus brought by the Strategic Plan, children
are now receiving a higher quality education under the tutelage of
higher quality staff members in what will be higher quality facilities
than in the past. These facts complement the always – present caring
C-A school community.”
C-AUpdate.
The C-AUpdate, an
electronic newsletter, premiered on May 1, 2010. If any member of the
community has not received a copy, please feel free to contact Mrs. Judy
Zoller, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent at
jzoller@coxsackie-athens.org or at 731-1710 and provide an e-mail
address to which a copy could be sent.