A Message from Dr. Ivan J. Katz, Superintendent of Schools
July 3, 2006
Dear School Community Members:
I wanted to take one moment in time to thank you one and all for your support over the past 8 seasons. My years here
at Eldred have been the most important in my career as an educator. I have found the Eldred School Community to be one
that cares about the most important resource on the planet: Our kids! Together we have accomplished some great
things – but the best is yet to come!
I am exceptionally proud to have had the honor to work with a group of educators who make the improvement of instruction
their number one priority! Time and again I have been awed by how this community has come together to support kids!
Your Board of Education is one that you can be very proud of as well. This Board has demonstrated over and over again
how important doing the right things for kids is. I am proud to have worked with a Board of Education that shines through
even when the going gets tough.
The Board of Education has appointed Ms. Charlotte Gregory, the current Interim Superintendent of the Fallsburg Central
School District as the new Interim Superintendent of Eldred. Ms. Gregory and I will be switching positions around the
first week in August. We have planned for a smooth transition and have already begun to consult with each other as we
prepare for the future.
Ms. Gregory is one of the most respected educators in New York State. Ms. Gregory will be with Eldred for the 2006-07
school year. Ms. Gregory has been in the field of education for over 40 years and has made a positive difference for more
students than one person can count. This will be Ms. Gregory’s 14th district where she has served as Superintendent
of Schools.
During the 2006-07 school year, the Board of Education, working along with Sullivan County BOCES, will put together the
search process for the next Superintendent of Schools. The new superintendent will have a tentative start date of July
1, 2007.
I wish everyone a wonderful summer and I want to thank you so very much for allowing me to be part of the Eldred Community
for the past 8 years. The Eldred School Community has left an indelible mark on my heart and that mark will be there
forever more. Thank you!
Ivan J. Katz, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Dear School Community Members:
June has arrived, in the blink of an eye! The last few days of school, longer daylight hours and the excitement of
summer is what this time of year is all about.
First of all, I would like to thank all members of the Eldred School Community for supporting our school budget and propositions.
The outpouring of support was exceptionally touching and spoke volumes to the importance that education holds in the Eldred
School Community. I would also like to welcome our newest member to the Board of Education, Mr. Amador Laput!
There are many exciting things on the Eldred horizon. Our efforts to improve instruction continue to be successful
as evidenced by the most recent New York State School Report Card data. We are improving instruction by leaps and bounds
thanks to the cooperative efforts of our school community. I am particularly proud of all of the members of the Academic
Task Forces for the incredible amounts of time they devote to the improvement of instruction and to furthering the concept
of having a community of learners. The Eldred staff continues to make children the top priority.
Also on the horizon is a capital project that will address the structural needs of the Junior-Senior High School and the
George Ross Mackenzie Elementary School. Included in this project will be the completion of work previously started
at the elementary school (exterior wall, structural floors, windows, roof and skylights, 400 meter track etc.). At the
junior-senior high school, the project will address many items including a rewiring of the entire building, paving, exterior
walls, doors, roof and skylights, communication systems, plumbing, drainage, site sanitary, light fixtures, smoke detection
handicapped accessibility, the addition of 3 classrooms and an all purpose room that will be the new home of the music department.
In addition to providing for educational opportunities, this capital project is one that is direly needed to continue to protect
the health, safety and welfare of students and staff.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish our students the very best as they prepare for their final examinations and
New York State assessments. I want to give special thanks to all of our staff members who day in and day out come here
for our kiddoes. I would also like to thank our school community members for supporting us year in and year out. The
Eldred School Community has time and again shown that they are a team that is prepared to move forward regardless of the obstacles.
Lastly, I would like to congratulate our graduates of 2006 for the great job they’ve done in representing Eldred
in so many different ways. Good luck graduates in all you do!
Ivan J. Katz, Ed.D.
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Dear School Community Members:
The spring season has finally arrived and I know that we all look forward to sunny and warmer days that bring the promise
of summer closer and closer. However, before the wonder of summer arrives, we have a number of tasks at hand.
These tasks include continued student assessments, the conclusion of the budget season and a building project that will provide
for the present and future needs of our students.
Our teachers and students have been preparing for testing throughout this school year. This was the first year that testing
in grades 3-8 took place as a result of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. In addition to the full plate of
tests that already existed (including Regents examinations), our students and teachers prepared themselves to welcome this
new program of testing in grades 3-8. The preparation that took place to meet and greet this new testing found its foundation
in the ongoing Academic Task Force movement at Eldred. Our teachers and students continue working hard to improve instruction
at every level.
The budget season has been in full swing since February and the district has been working hard to put together a budget
that protects taxpayers and provides for the fiscal health and stability of the school district. Our legislature has
been hard at work plugging in necessary dollars back into education so that, at the very least, we are not moving backwards.
Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther and Senator John Bonacic have been ardent supporters of the Eldred Central School District and
we appreciate their efforts in the highest.
In the next few months the district will be putting forth a referendum to the Eldred school community that will provide
for repairs and improvements at the junior-senior high school and the Mackenzie elementary school. This building project
will look at long term repairs and additions that will protect the health, safety, welfare of students for many years to come
while providing an instructional environment that is better suited to the needs of students in today’s society.
As this project continues to unfold we will keep the community informed through workshops, brochures, mailings and the school
district website.
This is quite a full plate of endeavors to achieve over the next weeks and months but we feel that all of these undertakings
are geared towards the improvement of instruction for the students of the Eldred Central School District. We look forward
to working with you and keeping you informed.
Educationally yours,
Ivan J. Katz, Ed.D.
Superintendent
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Dear School Community Members:
How did it get to be winter so quickly? It is as if the Road Runner himself has sped by us and left only a dusty
trajectory. In a few moments we will be welcoming an exciting holiday season and a brand new year. I know that
we all look forward to what the future has in store for us.
At this point in the school year some of the excitement we look forward to is our students in grades 3-8, taking state
mandated tests for the first time. This will be a learning experience for all involved. Students, parents, teachers,
administrators and even Board of Education members anxiously await the maiden voyage of 3-8 testing. We have already
been experiencing the new New York State graduation requirements that require all students to pass a minimum of 5 Regents
examinations in order to graduate.
The media puts great emphasis on the results of standardized testing in New York. The media compares schools
county-wide, region-wide and state-wide. With that media report in hand, we look to see where our own school falls relative
to a county, region and state perspective. This last year Eldred looked excellent in our testing results. In 4th
grade we were at the top of the heap on all measures. In 8th grade we experienced almost 100% improvement in one year’s
time. Our Regents scores were also exceptionally high in many areas. Credit for this good work goes to our teachers,
administrators and, of course, our students who learn and take these tests as they are supported at home by their families.
While it is very nice to read about our school district when our results are exceptional, and not so nice to read about
it when our results are less than exceptional, it is important to keep in mind that testing in grades 3-8 has a purpose other
than county, region and state wide comparisons. The purpose of this testing is to give students, parents, teachers and
administrators indicators of how students are doing at various grade levels. The testing is geared towards measuring
how prepared students are to ultimately pass Regents examinations as they progress on their journey from elementary school
towards high school.
The yearly school report card that you read about in local newspapers only compares schools to each other for one year
of testing. While this does have some useful data, there are lots of other data that may be more important for individual
schools. In my estimation, following the individual results of students, as they journey from elementary school to junior
high school to high school has a much greater data value than just looking at yearly results in a vacuum. At Eldred,
our Academic Task Forces have been doing just that.
I am so proud of the Academic Task force movement at Eldred because, as a community of learners, we have
built capacity and a process for analyzing individual student results. What this ultimately means is that teachers,
working together in teams, will be armed with more individualized student information than ever before. After this first
administration of 3-8 testing, teachers will be able to follow a student’s academic progress from early grade levels
through graduation. Although we have been doing this in the form of alternate testing (Terra Nova) in previous years,
this is the first time that we will be using state mandated exams to give us this data.
I am very excited about our Academic Task Force work because it is aimed at our highest priority; the improvement of
instruction. These next few months will be a series of “firsts” for all of us as we get acquainted with
3-8 testing.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish the entire Eldred School Community the very best of everything during
this holiday season as we await the beginning of a new year that holds the excitement of things to come.
Educationally yours,
Dr. Ivan J. Katz
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A Message from Dr. Ivan J. Katz, Superintendent of Schools
Dear School Community Members:
It is my privilege and my honor to welcome the school community back for the 2005-06 school year. I look forward
to working with all members of the school community as we continue on our journey leading to the success of ECS students through
the improvement of instruction.
Last summer, I indicated that one of my goals was for the district to continue the improvement of instruction work
that has been taking place for the previous 6 years at ECS. In year 7 (2004-05), we continued to be data driven
in terms of student achievement. Our student data provided us with valuable information relative to how students were
progressing towards successfully completing all graduation requirements. We are now entering year number 8.
In year 8, the school district continues to evolve into an organization that is driven towards the improvement of instruction.
Academic task forces in Mathematics, English Language Arts, Social Studies and Science (made up of teachers in grades
K-12) meet throughout the year to analyze student data (including but not limited to state assessments, Terra Nova tests and
marking period-by-marking period grade results). The purpose of this work is to analyze data from a macro-perspective,
looking at the results of all of our students and from a micro-perspective, looking at the individual results of each of our
students.
In 2004-05, students turned in outstanding results on 4th and 8th grade assessments as well as on Regents exams at the
high school level. With the new challenge of standardized testing taking place in grades 3-8, students and staff are
prepared to meet and greet this new challenge.
Prior to the beginning of the school year, the teaching staff will be meeting with the academic task force teams for two
days to examine their findings to see how these findings can be transitioned into the lesson planning process. This process
is very exciting and it builds upon the work done in previous years. Additionally, the entire staff will meet prior
to the opening of school to work on newly updated school safety plans. School safety drills will take place district-wide
throughout the school year to make sure that ECS is prepared to handle emergencies and crises.
The Comprehensive District Education Plan (CDEP) continues to be the center of all of our educational activities.
This plan incorporates the multi-year goals established by the Board of Education as well as the combined efforts of the Building
Level Teams and the CDEP Team. Our data driven commitment to the CDEP plan has made it very successful and has been
the backbone of the academic task force movement at ECS.
I wish us all the best of everything as we prepare to begin the 2005-06 school year. I am truly proud to be a
continuing member of the ECS team and I look forward to the road ahead. I would like to thank you one and all for what
you do to make our school the best as we strive for excellence!
Educationally yours,
Ivan J. Katz, Ed.D.
Superintendent
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6/24/05
Dear School Community Member:
I would like to take a moment to thank the community for supporting our budget. I would also like to commend all
members of the school community who participated in this very long budget season...your efforts have made a difference in
the educational program offered at ECS.
Our students have had an outstanding year in terms of academic accomplishment. Although we have areas that are in
need of improvement, I am exceptionally proud of the K-12 effort to improve instruction. The Academic Task Forces that
are in place are truly making a difference, I thank our staff one and all for that supreme effort.
Summer is here and I wish us all a relaxing, festive and enjoyable time. I look forward to seeing everyone in September.
Educationally yours,
Ivan J. Katz, Ed.D.
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March 11, 2005
The Evolution of Education
What’s changed in education? What’s different today inside of the schoolhouse gate as compared to the
thrilling days of yesteryear? These questions may sound rhetorical but in reality the changes in education that took
place as we stepped over the threshold of the 20th century and walked into a new world of the 21st century, are staggering.
In the fall of 2004, I attended an education workshop sponsored by the New York State School Board’s Association.
The presenter was a gentleman named Jamie Vollmer. Mr. Vollmer, a former businessman and attorney, is a friend of public
education and is an articulate champion of America’s public schools. In this workshop, Mr. Vollmer discussed an
article he wrote entitled, The Increasing Burden on America’s Public Schools. Because that presentation and article
impacted me, I thought it timely to write an article on how education has changed over the years and how impacting those changes
have been to the education community. The short history that follows is based on Mr. Vollmer’s presentation and
article.
America’s public schools date back to 1640. The Massachusetts Puritans established schools that taught basic
reading, writing and arithmetic skills along with some history and civics. Gradually, some science and geography were
added to this mix but the curriculum itself remained intact for 260 years.
At the turn of the 20th century, society began to assign additional responsibilities to schools. Politicians and
business leaders saw schools as the logical place for the social engineering of citizens of the new “Industrial Age.”
The trend of increasing school responsibilities has been increasing ever since.
From 1900 to 1910, we added nutrition, immunization and health to the list of school requirements. From 1910
to 1930 we added physical education (including organized athletics) and vocational education (including home economics and
agricultural education). School transportation became mandated.
In the 1940’s we added business education, art, music, speech, drama, and half day kindergarten. School lunch
programs appeared as well. In the 1950’s we expanded science and math education. Also added were safety
education, driver’s education, expanded music and art education. Foreign language requirements were strengthened
and health education topics were expanded and still continue to escalate.
In the 1960’s we added Advanced Placement programs, Head Start, Title I, adult education, consumer education, career
education and recreation education. In the 1970’s special education became mandated by the federal government.
Title IX programs greatly expanded athletic programs for students. Drug and alcohol abuse education was introduced as
well as parenting, character education, environment education, and extended social studies topics. School breakfast
programs also began at this time.
In the 1980’s, the flood gates opened and we added keyboarding and computer education, global education, multi-cultural
education, English-as-a-second language and bilingual education. We also added early childhood education, pre-school
programs for children at-risk, after school programs for children, alternative education, stranger/danger education and anti-smoking
education. Health and psychological services were expanded and child abuse monitoring became a legal requirement for
all teachers.
In the 1990’s, we added conflict resolution, peer mediation, HIV/AIDS education, CPR training, expanded computer
and Internet education, inclusion, tech prep and School-to-Work programs.
In the 21st century, most recently, we have added to this full menu of items, high-stakes standardized tests and, in New
York, the toughest set of graduation requirements in history. In the state of New York, to graduate in 2005, as opposed
to graduating in 1995 or before, students have to pass 5 Regents examinations and a myriad of curricular requirements.
In January of 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This act embodied
the latest set of amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The No Child Left Behind Act poses tremendous
challenges for school districts nation-wide. NCLB demands increased accountability for student performance and mandates
a full menu of items for school districts including but not limited to new levels of accountability in raising student achievement.
In most school districts, we have not added a single minute to the school day or school calendar to accommodate for all of
these additional requirements. All of these new and continuously changing requirements have implications to the world
of work.
The world of work, outside of the schoolhouse gate, is changing rapidly and dramatically. Jobs in all areas of life are
constantly undergoing restructuring and transformation. To succeed in today’s job market; high school graduates must
be smarter, more highly skilled, more socially savvy and have more technological ability than at any other time in world history.
The technological changes that today’s children will observe will be more dramatic and complex then anything today’s
adults have experienced.
To be a doctor, lawyer, teacher, custodian or any type of professional, requires much more education and skills in 2005
than at any other time in history. Our overall body of knowledge, in all areas of life, has increased exponentially
within the last fifty years.
What a medical doctor has to know today is markedly different that what a doctor had to know 20 or 30 years ago.
A teacher in today’s world has much different and more challenging standards to address than did teachers ten years
ago. A maintenance worker today has to be certified in a myriad of areas just to legally service buildings and grounds as
opposed to the past when such requirements didn’t exist. Professions that require certification and licensing
like architecture, dentistry, veterinary medicine, engineering, nursing, therapy, pharmacy and public accountancy have exceptionally
stringent qualifications that require long schooling, advanced testing and continuing education requirements after certification
and licensing has been awarded.
To address the rhetorical questions posed at the beginning of this article, it is clear that education has changed significantly
and continues to change significantly as society grows and changes. Many members of our educational communities are
very satisfied with the primary and secondary education they received as youngsters. When many of us were school aged
children, we received the most current education that was available. As educators, we want to continue that trend while
recognizing that so much has changed since our own halcyon days of youth. What we offer students today, given our ever-changing
culture and educational requirements, is markedly different than what we were presented with when we passed through the schoolhouse
gate eager to learn and excited about what a new day might bring. Because of these constant changes in educational requirements
and because of what the world of work expects of graduates in the new millennium, we want to make double sure that we
are academically current and not preparing the children of our future with the schools of our past.
(This
article has appeared in the Towne Crier and is scheduled to appear in the Sullivan County Democrat and
the River Reporter)
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November/December 2004
Dear School Community Members:
The Eldred Central School District has evolved into an organization that is driven towards the improvement of
instruction. This past summer, Academic Task Forces in Mathematics, English Language Arts, Social Studies and Science
(made up of teachers in grades K-12) met to analyze various forms of student information. The purpose of this work was to
analyze data, looking at the individual results of each of our students.
Prior to the beginning of the school year, the teaching staff met with the academic task force teams for two
days (September 1st and 2nd) to examine their findings and to see how those findings could be transitioned into the daily,
weekly and monthly lesson planning process. This process was very exciting and it built upon the work done previously in Mathematics
and English Language Arts. Academic Task Force work allows all teachers to use new and valuable information as they
unfold their lessons to students. This task force work now continues weekly as teachers meet after school on Tuesdays
and Thursdays with their respective academic task forces.
On a different but related note, I am outstandingly proud of the teaching staff for working with me on a teaching
contract that extended the school day so that the academic task force work that has been previously done can be followed up
on a weekly basis throughout the school year. The teachers made it abundantly clear that we need to continue to work
as a community of learners to deliver the best education we can to the students of Eldred. I would like to commend in
the highest our educators for stepping up to the plate and showcasing the importance of teamwork as it relates to the improvement
of instruction.
I am exceptionally excited to report to you that the Eldred Central School District is the recipient of approximately
$400,000 in grant awards over the next three years. We have recently been notified that we are the recipients of a $100,000
American History grant called, My Freedom, which will bring resources and training to our American History teachers in grades
K-12. This grant allows for staff training at Cornell University, access to representatives and artifacts from the Smithsonian
Institute and staff development through the National Council for History Education.
Additionally, we are the proud recipients of the Carol M. White Physical Education Award. This grant award
gives us approximately $100,000 a year for the next three years. The grant totals $300,000 after year three of the grant
cycle. The grant is designed to support the current program by providing staff development for all of our physical education
teachers. Additionally, the grant allows us to buy physical education equipment to bolster our current physical education
offerings. And, most importantly, the grant will allow us to revolutionize our physical education curriculum by addressing
the current health and nutritional needs of our students.
Our academic task force initiative, coupled with these very exciting grants, makes our future look quite bright.
I am very excited to be a part of this education program as it continues to unfold. I am also very proud of our teachers
and administrative staff who worked hard with me to bring $400,000 dollars of resources into the Eldred Central School District.
Educationally yours,
Ivan Katz, Ed.D.
