School Board Association honors members at gala
NORWICH – The Chenango County School Boards Association held its annual spring dinner and awards ceremony on Tuesday, highlighting the triumphs of local districts in the past year and heeding some of the challenges for the year to come.
According to district officials, each school has its own success stories. But unfortunately, those stories are overshadowed by disputes over issues like the newly implemented Common Core and the state mandated tax cap that restricts school spending.
“The reason we're here is to enjoy the company of fellow school board members and honor the members of our association who have given so freely of themselves to the education of our districts' children and communities that our schools serve,” said CCSBA President Kristen Rumovicz.
CCSBA serves as a source of professional development for sitting members of local school boards. Tuesday was a chance for members to mingle and learn ways in which they can improve their own schools.
Rumovicz lauded some of the major successes of the 10 public education institutions that make up the CCSBA, which includes the DCMO BOCES Norwich campus. Additionally, the association presented the School Board Member of the Year Award, which this year went to Norwich City School Board member Perry Owen. Every year, CCSBA solicits nominations for Board Member of the Year from each district. Nominees demonstrate a commitment and dedication to their respective schools and communities.
CCSBA members also presented a new award this year – the Marge Secrest Lifetime Achievement Award, which reflects a board members' longstanding commitment and service to their school and community. And who better to be the first recipient of the Marge Secrest Lifetime Achievement Award than Afton School Board President Marge Secrest?
“Mrs. Secrest has devoted over 55 years of service to her community and her school,” said BOCES Superintendent William Tammaro who presented the award on behalf of the School Board Association.
Secrest worked as an English teacher in the Afton Central School District from 1960-1983. During her tenure, she played a role in multiple school functions, including school plays, the PTA, and the Afton Teachers Association. Upon retirement, Secrest became involved in more community and state organizations, including her church, the grange, and the Chenango County Farm Bureau. She began serving on the Afton School Board in 1985 and continues that service today as board president.
“She epitomizes outstanding school boardsmanship. She is truly the perfect example to us all,” Tammaro said. “Marge Secrest has devoted her time, talents and efforts in service to the Afton Central School, BOCES, and to the wider community with an overriding commitment to the improvement the lives of children and is truly deserving of this special honor.
“It means a great deal to me to see all of you here tonight,” Secrest said to those in attendance. “Being active in my organization has kept me young … I think being busy is what I was meant to be, and I just am so thrilled to have this honor.”
School budgets also became a theme of the evening. With budget votes in every school district slated for May 20, many boards are already preparing for the 2015-2016 school budget. Reaching out to the community is a big part of that, explained keynote speakers Deborah Bush-Suflita and Jennie Kerwood of the Capital Region BOCES Communication Services.
“Our public schools deal with two things people care most about; their kids and their money. So it's no surprise that we're under the microscope in public education like no other organization,” said Bush-Suflita.
She added that schools today deal with a variety of issues, including the Common Core, taxing restraints, and the lack of state funding. In the midst of these challenges, schools still have to find a way to communicate to the public in order to keep control of those challenges.
The key, according to Bush-Suflita, is being proactive in communication efforts.
“Schools build credibility when they're the first and best source of information about what's happening in their classrooms and in their boardrooms. They lose credibility when they're silent on important or controversial issues.”
The Chenango County School Board Association will not convene again until its annual fall dinner in October.
According to district officials, each school has its own success stories. But unfortunately, those stories are overshadowed by disputes over issues like the newly implemented Common Core and the state mandated tax cap that restricts school spending.
“The reason we're here is to enjoy the company of fellow school board members and honor the members of our association who have given so freely of themselves to the education of our districts' children and communities that our schools serve,” said CCSBA President Kristen Rumovicz.
CCSBA serves as a source of professional development for sitting members of local school boards. Tuesday was a chance for members to mingle and learn ways in which they can improve their own schools.
Rumovicz lauded some of the major successes of the 10 public education institutions that make up the CCSBA, which includes the DCMO BOCES Norwich campus. Additionally, the association presented the School Board Member of the Year Award, which this year went to Norwich City School Board member Perry Owen. Every year, CCSBA solicits nominations for Board Member of the Year from each district. Nominees demonstrate a commitment and dedication to their respective schools and communities.
CCSBA members also presented a new award this year – the Marge Secrest Lifetime Achievement Award, which reflects a board members' longstanding commitment and service to their school and community. And who better to be the first recipient of the Marge Secrest Lifetime Achievement Award than Afton School Board President Marge Secrest?
“Mrs. Secrest has devoted over 55 years of service to her community and her school,” said BOCES Superintendent William Tammaro who presented the award on behalf of the School Board Association.
Secrest worked as an English teacher in the Afton Central School District from 1960-1983. During her tenure, she played a role in multiple school functions, including school plays, the PTA, and the Afton Teachers Association. Upon retirement, Secrest became involved in more community and state organizations, including her church, the grange, and the Chenango County Farm Bureau. She began serving on the Afton School Board in 1985 and continues that service today as board president.
“She epitomizes outstanding school boardsmanship. She is truly the perfect example to us all,” Tammaro said. “Marge Secrest has devoted her time, talents and efforts in service to the Afton Central School, BOCES, and to the wider community with an overriding commitment to the improvement the lives of children and is truly deserving of this special honor.
“It means a great deal to me to see all of you here tonight,” Secrest said to those in attendance. “Being active in my organization has kept me young … I think being busy is what I was meant to be, and I just am so thrilled to have this honor.”
School budgets also became a theme of the evening. With budget votes in every school district slated for May 20, many boards are already preparing for the 2015-2016 school budget. Reaching out to the community is a big part of that, explained keynote speakers Deborah Bush-Suflita and Jennie Kerwood of the Capital Region BOCES Communication Services.
“Our public schools deal with two things people care most about; their kids and their money. So it's no surprise that we're under the microscope in public education like no other organization,” said Bush-Suflita.
She added that schools today deal with a variety of issues, including the Common Core, taxing restraints, and the lack of state funding. In the midst of these challenges, schools still have to find a way to communicate to the public in order to keep control of those challenges.
The key, according to Bush-Suflita, is being proactive in communication efforts.
“Schools build credibility when they're the first and best source of information about what's happening in their classrooms and in their boardrooms. They lose credibility when they're silent on important or controversial issues.”
The Chenango County School Board Association will not convene again until its annual fall dinner in October.
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