When I entered into education 30 years ago, my goal was to use my abilities to connect with, encourage, and inspire the students in my classes to reach their full potential. I wanted to bring positivity to the lives of my students and their families. Whether these students went to college and/or trade school, the military, or the workforce, it was important to me that I did everything in my power to see that they were well-prepared to enter adulthood. As a teacher, I had the opportunity to reach approximately 150 students at a time. Seeing students and families succeed brought great joy to my life. Upon realization that I could reach more students and families as an administrator, my career shifted; my goal, however, did not. To this day, I strive to provide as many opportunities as possible to all of the students of the Stroudsburg Area School District to prepare them for their future outside of the protective walls of youth.

 

Stroudsburg recognizes the importance of continuous improvement and focusing forward on providing robust educational opportunities that prepare future-ready students. I am proud of the academic, extra/co-curricular programming that we can provide our students. As far as I am concerned, our educators comprise the best administrative team, the best teacher team, and the best support staff team in the state of Pennsylvania. I boldly say that because I see the love, care, compassion, passion, and energy exerted every day. It’s a simple philosophy for students of a free, educational giveaway – bring your own container! We have tremendous support from our families and want to continue to work together in a collaborative team environment doing what is best for students. We are an inclusive district and embrace and welcome all!

 

Our academic experience, coupled with work-based learning opportunities will provide real-life experiences for students as they transition from high school into college, the workforce, or the military. Strong schools and strong communities go hand-in-hand. We’ve recently approved the development of a project lead the way program focused on engineering concepts and modules with a high math and science requirement to assist in preparing our students for such careers. We are heavily engaged in the reading process, incorporating the science of the teaching of reading to professional development to all staff, ultimately helping all our students to be able to read on grade level, working towards a District Vision. Our five-year cohort graduation rate has increased, and we continue to look at ways to expand our curriculum to provide real-world experiences for students with the next wave having a focus on financial literacy. We also have a continued focus on social and emotional well-being for students and staff. 

 

I am truly honored to be your superintendent and serve in my 8th year. I am proud of our faculty and staff and their commitment to our students. I am proud of our students and their commitment to their learning. Thank you for this opportunity.