Superintendent of Schools Eileen Casey
A farewell letter to the community

August 2006

To the Monticello Central School District Community,

I am very thankful to have served the Monticello community as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent of schools and, for the last 13 years, as superintendent.

In my 37-year career, I have worked with many teachers, support staff, administrators and boards of education dedicated to giving our students the best possible education.

I am grateful that I have been able to work with hundreds of students and their families, many of whom have become community leaders and close personal friends.

I am proud of the many opportunities we offer our students. It has been my privilege to have had a role in the development a myriad of educational and extracurricular opportunities. Some examples are listed in the accompanying story.

I know that none of these accomplishments would have been possible without the commitment of our entire community. I would like to emphasize that the accomplishments included here are not mine but are the result of a collaborative school-community effort. They should be celebrated by the entire community.

On a personal note, since I began my career as an elementary teacher in the Cooke and Chase schools, I have had the joy of seeing my students grow up and become dedicated members of the community. Many of these students are now parents and/or employees of the district. There is no accomplishment that is more meaningful to me than to see my former students grow up and become fine citizens. A special message to my former students: please know I will always be very proud of you.

As a native of the Town of Forestburgh, it has been my great privilege to have served my home school district during my entire educational career.

As I look forward to new professional challenges, I would like to thank each of you

Thank you all, again, for your ongoing support on behalf of the students of the Monticello Central School District. I wish you the very best as you continue in the very important effort to offer our students the best education possible.

Sincerely,
Eileen P. Casey

A reflective look at the accomplishments made during Eileen Casey's tenure as superintendent

Classroom 2000 facilities improvements
One of the biggest accomplishments of my administration has been our Classroom 2000 facilities project. We – the Monticello Central School District community – built a new 900-student middle school and renovated/added on to our other five schools.

Thirteen years ago, all our schools were severely overcrowded and had major infrastructure problems such as leaky roofs. By working together and with the commitment of our taxpayers, we have changed that. We have made more than $48 million worth of improvements to our school property; the last phase of construction is ending this summer.

All of our facilities are now in excellent shape. Thank you to every last person who has helped make our schools better places for our students to learn and grow, both now and in the decades to come.

Major technology implementation
Classroom 2000 also included $3.75 million to start the process of putting computers in every Monticello classroom and media center. This infusion has changed the face of instruction in our district. We’ve added to the initial $3.75 million investment by seeking and receiving a significant amount of grant funds. Instructional technology helps our students every day.

Library/media centers
Another important goal of the Classroom 2000 project was to update our limited and insufficient library/media centers and make them the heart of each school. Our libraries are light years better today, filled with countless opportunities for our students.

Comprehensive District Educational Planning Process
Since 1998, a committee of people from around the district has performed an annual, in-depth analysis of our instruction, identified root causes for academic deficits – and developed realistic plans to address those deficits.

This continual improvement process has helped us coordinate various efforts focusing on areas in need of improvement. We’re using data – solid information – to make educational decisions and to implement instructional plans to address our areas of weakness. These efforts have enabled us to improve in student achievement.

Partnerships
I am proud of my role in initiating a partnership with Sullivan County BOCES to use the former Monticello Middle School as an educational center. Likewise, our partnership with Easter Seals enabled us to provide a Universal Pre-K for our children. Partnerships such as these are a key ingredient to success in education.

Academic collaborations with universities and colleges
Several very effective instructional programs have been developed over the years in conjunction with institutions of higher learning:

• The Literacy Collaborative, developed in conjunction with Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., and paid for with grant money, offers extensive training to help our elementary teachers become experts in reading instruction.

• Guided Reading. Working with instructors from Mount Saint Mary College, Guided Reading has significantly helped our middle school students to read better. Instructors work in classrooms with our teachers, helping them implement this approach in Language Arts and Social Studies classes. This was also paid for with a school improvement grant.

• Syracuse University Project Advance credit-earning courses are available to high school students.

• The Academy of Finance, a business oriented program affiliated with the National Academy of Finance. High school students earn credits from Sullivan Co. Community College for several college courses. Local businesses provide very beneficial internship opportunities. Local business representatives serve on the academy’s advisory board.

Parent Centers in Cooke and Middle schools
We’ve won grants to support two Every Person Influences Children (EPIC) parent centers, one in the Cooke School and one in the Robert J. Kaiser Middle School. The centers offer parents support, resources, workshops and forums.

Website and newsletters
To improve communication, the district website (www.monticelloschools.net) was created three years ago. It includes extensive information about the district and current “happenings” from each school.

Also, for the past four years, newsletters for parents at each level – elementary, middle and high school, have been mailed home several times a year. And a community newsletter is mailed to all district residents several times each year, to keep the entire community informed.


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