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Administration

Christine Ackerman on Being Open & Engaged

October 22, 2017 by The Inside Press

An Avid Runner, the CCSD’s New Superintendent also Goes the Extra Mile to Emphasize Communication, Transparency and Supporting District Wide Initiatives in STEM, Health – and Social Justice, too.

PHOTO BY GRACE BENNETT

BY GRACE BENNETT

Maybe I’m just getting older, but upon meeting new Chappaqua school district Superintendent Christine Ackerman this past summer, I could not help but marvel at how youthful she seemed; I was certain she was young enough to be my daughter. Ok, well almost! And so I asked her how her youth might lend a reinvigoration of sorts and fresh perspective to our schools while taking on 21st century challenges.

First, some background: Ackerman, only 39 years old, comes to Chappaqua after three years as Superintendent of the Greenwood Lake Union Free School District, following four years as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Pupil Personnel Services with the Millbrook Central School District, where she had served as its high school principal for a year and a half. Prior to that, she was Assistant Principal & Director of Social Services at Valhalla Middle/High School, Dean of Students at John Jay High School in Katonah, and a teacher and Dean of Students in the New York City school system.

A native of Vernon, New Jersey and one of four children, she credits her decision to take an unorthodox route for an educator – going directly from college to graduate school to receiving her PhD – as the reason that doors opened very quickly and enable her to compile such an impressive and varied resume for someone so young.

A New and Broader Outlook

“I think I have a fresh perspective. I’ve had a lot of different experiences in various roles within a school district,” Ackerman explained when asked what she brings to Chappaqua. “I’ve been a teacher, an assistant principal, a principal, an assistant superintendent for special ed, for curriculum and instruction, and superintendent, so I think I have a large frame of reference, which I am able to use when I’m looking at different issues, whether they’re instructional or social/emotional.” She elaborated that she will be able to draw from her experiences in diverse districts, “from high-performing districts to the inner-city,” enabling her to work with different constituent groups on a wide range of issues.

She also stressed the value of having her own children (a third grader at Westorchard and a fifth grader at Seven Bridges) enrolled in Chappaqua schools. “I can’t underscore the importance of having my own kids here: it’s very, very important,” said Ackerman, a single mom in the district. “I want people to have confidence in the fact that I feel that this is the best place for my kids to receive an education. I think it speaks volumes, it speaks more than anything I could ever say to have my own children to be able to experience what I feel is one of the best educational experiences they could have in the state, if not the country.”

“When you have children that go through the district, it gives a different perspective, not only as an administrator, but as a mom,” Ackerman continued. “You get real time experience when you’re a mom – the homework, the assessments – you have a different lens because you’re not only looking at it in terms of how the structure and the education and social program are operating, but you’re looking at it in terms of how your own child is experiencing it.” She added that “it lends a different credibility” when people know that decisions she makes as an instructional leader will directly impact her own children too.

As an example, Ackerman described transitioning one of her prior district’s anthology reading program to a writing workshop program – what currently exists in Chappaqua – as the literacy instructional base. Not surprisingly, there were many questions, and she was able to “very clearly say it benefits [the children, including my own] and why these are the practices I’ll be doing with my own children at home to support what’s happening in the classroom.”

Ackerman does not sense any real discomfort of her kids or their teachers in her dual position as Superintendent and classroom mom. “I think [my kids] are proud of their mom, and they see me because I’m very present in the buildings with the kids. For them it’s normal to have their mom walking around the building and going in and out of their classes,” she said. She added that in her prior Superintendent position, if “any initial unfamiliarity with me existed, as time went on and the frequency of my interactions with the people increased, I think that any kind of trepidation dissipated. It would be my goal, though, that people would feel comfortable interacting with me as a colleague, not necessarily as a supervisor, because I think that’s where the best collaboration happens for kids.”

Ackerman’s children, like their mom, however, are most excited about the opportunities available to them in Chappaqua. “The facilities and the extracurricular program in Chappaqua is unbelievable; when it’s all you’ve experienced, you don’t really have a broader perspective of what else is out there for kids,” she said, noting the difference in other schools her children have attended. “When we pulled up to Seven Bridges and my son saw where he was going to school, he was amazed, and so was I,” she added.

“All of our facilities are so thoughtful and designed in a way to really support instruction differently. The opportunities here are endless for our kids, and I am just so privileged that my kids are going to be able to have that same opportunity as other students.”

Full STEAM Ahead: Collaboration and Technology

Emphasizing the high level of instruction in our district schools, Ackerman hopes to even further enhance technological and collaborative tools to even better prepare our students for college and beyond.

“I’m extremely passionate about educational technology, because I feel that we need to prepare students to leave here ready to interact and integrate into a society that is focused on web-based interactions,” she said. “And I also feel that, if you look at college and career readiness standards, we exceed many of the academic standards, but one of the things that businesses really focus on is the ability of kids/employees to work collaboratively to solve real-world problems.”

Ackerman has been very impressed with CCSD’s work with collaborative spaces.

“I think one of the smart, visionary decisions that the previous Superintendent had was the concept of these maker-spaces, because they really have kids applying content in real-life application.” She points to the district’s redesign of school spaces to support STEAM work.

“We have our iLab in the high school, and we’re beginning to think differently in our elementary schools by incorporating some of the practices in our high school. We’re looking at spaces differently.” She described a pilot project at Westorchard “where we’re really looking at our classroom design in a way that supports student collaboration.”

Challenges Ahead

As Superintendent, Ackerman is an integral part of the CCSD Board of Education. “It’s a partnership, so every meeting I’m there with them, preparing the agenda, preparing reports for the community, for the Board of Education on our progress and what we’ve been focused on. We have a very dedicated group of individuals from all sorts of constituencies. I feel so fortunate to be able to work for this Board of Education. They’re really focused on the kids.”

Upon arriving in Chappaqua, Ackerman has had numerous “entrance meetings” with different constituent groups, all confirming the CCSD’s strength. “The faculty, staff, and administrative team are extremely strong, very professional, and devoted to our kids in a way that’s probably unique compared to other districts,” she said. “You have some of the top people in their profession working in this district with our students. This is where you want to teach: the professional development, the commitment of the community towards providing the best education for the children here, is unparalleled.”

One of the biggest challenges facing the district that she has been asked to focus on is communication and transparency. “Some of the things that we’re already in the process of engaging in will be re-designing our website, thinking about how we’re structuring our board meetings, talking about what can we share versus what can’t we share, and just being really cognizant of making sure that people feel comfortable with the processes that we have in place,” Ackerman explained.

“We have a lot of committees – including communications – that look at a lot of many different aspects of our program,” she continued. “I look forward to leveraging some of those committees to talk about what I heard in entrance meetings. One of the things that we’ve been talking about in terms of communication is our social media presence – we really don’t have one. Can we have a voice on social media? These are all things that are important but they’re a process and they take time,” she added.

Ackerman thinks that the team in place is up to the challenge, brushing aside the idea that a consultant or public relations firm might be needed. “I just think we need to work with the people that we have and work with our parents to all be comfortable, because I think, in terms of people feeling like they want more communication from the district that can get that feedback from our community and use that to figure out how we’re going to move forward.” Ackerman is on it.

She noted that she has already engaged in some outreach with local publications, this one included. “I think we need to look at that,” she said. “I’ve already made some contact with our local media providers, I’ve tried to build relationships with our newspaper, because I think there’s a lot going on here that we can highlight as well. I feel like it’s an opportunity for us.”

Ackerman also recognizes that there is work to be done as far as instilling strong values in students of an affluent district. She recalled that one of the focus areas of this past summer’s administrative retreat was the social and emotional growth of students, which she described as an integral piece of the academic program and “one of our responsibilities.”

“I know that there’s been a lot of work done in individual buildings around this particular issue with staff members and under the leadership of the administration, so one of the areas that I know we’re going to look at collaboratively as a district K-12 is how we’re all working collectively on that important component of the academic program,” she said.

She also noted the need to help the student body appreciate diversity and build tolerance. “I support social justice [and was] trained by the Social Justice Institute,” Ackerman said. “I find that it has to be embedded in the curriculum and that it’s something that happens on a regular basis in the classrooms through teachers interactions with kids, but I also know there’s value in having teacher-student connections and individual conversations that focus on these issues specifically.” She is working on figuring out how to structure the school day around promoting “common values that we all value as humans and that we need to partner on and complement each other from home to school.”

Shown here with Christine Ackerman (L-R): Georgia Rappaport, Sara Albert, School Board member Vicki Tipp, Luke Leopold and Jared Saiontz

Nutrition and Fitness

Ackerman, an avid runner (five to seven miles every morning before going to work), is an advocate in fitness and healthy eating, for herself, her children and the students in the district. “I think it’s important for my own kids to see me valuing my health and to be healthy, so I am committed to making sure that our kids [do the same],” she said. She also notes the evidence that supports how nutrition affects school performance; “there’s so much research that supports how students come to school, and what happens in the morning, particularly around what they’re eating in terms of preparing them for instruction, so I think how our kids spend their lunch breaks and what they eat during their lunch breaks are important, absolutely.”

First Impressions

One of Ackerman’s early experiences as the CCSD Superintendent was marching in the town’s Memorial Day Parade and meeting Hillary and Bill Clinton and Governor Andrew Cuomo. “It was amazing for me to be able to be in the presence of the former President and the Secretary of State. They took time with me to find out where I was from, and offered their assistance with any support that I would need. They affirmed to me how great the community was. I was honored,” she said. However, what impressed her even more was that the Board of Education immediately followed these illustrious residents in the parade. “What I found most telling though about that experience, and this really for me put in perspective how much this community values education, was the parade order was the President, Secretary of State, the Governor, and the Chappaqua Board of Education. That was amazing to me.

To see that level of commitment that this community has toward its schools and respect,” Ackerman recalled.

The school year got off to an exciting start, too, with a packed-house September 8 community event celebrating the new Greeley track and field under the newly-installed lights. “This community event was designed to foster a sense of togetherness amongst our K-12 students and community,” she said. “We also wanted to take a moment to truly celebrate our new facility that will be used by all facets of our community.” Indeed, the event was attended even by Chappaqua’s youngest residents and enjoyed by all.

An emotional and inspiring event on that same field followed several weeks later, as the Greeley boys’ varsity soccer team dedicated a home game to one of its own who tragically passed away this summer. “One of my most memorable moments so far was watching the boys’ soccer team honor Casey Taub [who had worn uniform number 22] by leading the crowd in a standing ovation as they played during the 22nd minute of a recent home game,” Ackerman recalled. “The senior captain even scored a goal at 22:22 – it was such a moving tribute to this young man. I continue to be impressed by the quality of instruction and the caliber of students who are members of the Chappaqua Central School District community.”

PHOTO BELOW (Left to Right): State Assemblyman David Buchwald, Superintendent Christine Ackerman, CCSD Board Member Vicki Tipp, Senator Terrence Murphy, Jared Saiontz at the mic, Stacey Saiontz, Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein, Liz Rappaport, Luke Leopold, Sara Albert, Georgia Rappaport (holding white bag). Additional people who have helped advocate for the bills and traveled to Albany who are not pictured are: Patty Albert (mom), Elliott Saiontz (older brother of food allergic child); Heather Brown (mom) and Spencer Brown (food allergic child); Jill Mindlin (mom) and Maya Mindlin (food allergic child); and Jon Terrry (advocate whose sister passed from allergic reaction to a bee sting).

She is also impressed with the philanthropy and advocacy of student and parent groups. For example, “our students and parents worked together to advocate for legislation that would allow bus drivers who are not employees of the District to administer EpiPens.” She added that “we are currently working to develop a Board of Ed policy in conjunction with Chappaqua Transportation to support our students in this way.”

To that end, Ackerman wanted the community to be aware that the District will be engaging in “a strategic cohesive planning process to identify long and short term goals in relation to the Board of Education’s strategic questions over the course of this school year.” And most importantly, Ackerman stressed that she is available to talk with anyone about any issue.

“I am available and people can feel free to contact me if they need help, if they want to talk to me, they have ideas, I’m open. They can email me at chackerman@ccsd.ws or they could set up a meeting. I’m here, I’m open, and I’m here to be their partner. I’m really looking forward to those experiences with people here.”


Bus Drivers Get Green Light to Administer EpiPens

At her first press conference for the district at Douglas Grafflin Elementary School, Christine Ackerman joined parents and students and Westchester sponsors of a new law passed to protect and save the lives of students who suffer from severe allergies. Assemblyman David Buchwald and State Senator Terrence Murphy co-sponsored the legislation which now allows school bus drivers and others employed by firms providing services to schools to administer epinephrine when a child suffers anaphylaxis shock.

Christine Ackerman: “Our students and parents worked together to advocate for legislation that would allow bus drivers who are not employees of the District to administer EpiPens.”

David Buchwald: “The New York State Department of Health will need to move quickly to issue the regulations necessary for the timely implementation of this act.”

Terrence Murphy: “When a child experiences anaphylaxis, there is little time to wait for emergency personnel to arrive. Every second is crucial.”

Advocate Stacey Saiontz: “Recently, a school bus driver in Massachusetts saved a student’s life when emergency personnel could not arrive on the scene in time. I am so pleased New York school bus drivers will be able to do the same.”


Grace Bennett is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Inside Chappaqua Magazine. This interview was edited by long time Inside Press contributor Debra Hand. Special thanks as well to intern Amanda Kraus for transcribing.

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Administration, Bus Drivers, CCSD Superintendent, Chappaqua Central School District, Christine Ackerman, EpiPen, health, nutrition, school

Welcome to our Town!

August 5, 2015 by The Inside Press

TNC-001The pages of this guide are full of examples of the strong sense of community that we share here, and will be updated annually. The Guide opens the door to our residents to provide fingertip access to the pillars of our Community:

  • Neighborhoods, be they east or west, north or south, that have their own unique characteristics that contribute to a sense of a single, welcoming community.
  • World class schools that offer all students opportunities to study, grow and achieve.
  • Business districts that provide great shopping, dining and services for the pleasure and convenience of all who live and visit here.
  • We have public outdoor spaces that offer passive and active recreation and Community activities in the arts and education. Whether you are looking for youth sports, adult leagues and physical activity, just a wooded stroll with Map Approvedyour dog, the chance to look at artwork or listen to music, this Guide lets you know about how to take advantage of the many outlets for your physical well-being and inner-self!
  • Community-centered and volunteer organizations that attend to the health, spiritual, safety and social needs of our residents while preserving our rich history.

Of course, you’ll find information about our Town government. New Castle has a wonderful history of being a pleasant escape from the hustle and bustle of New York City. Yet, we are also less than an hour away by car or Metro-North Railroad.

Your elected officials and Town employees serve to support the Community. Read about our daily commitment and initiatives that continuously care for the safety of our residents, adults, children and pets.

Find out about our Town resources that demonstrate our efforts to be accessible, including the New Castle eNewsletter, our Town website recently redesigned that allows residents to pay taxes on-line, provides emergency information, an Event Calendar, Report a Problem or even contact a town employee or Board Member.

Please use this Guide to learn about our Community! Once again, Welcome!

Robert Greenstein
Town Supervisor
rgreenstein@mynewcastle.org

wallace interiorWallace

 

 

 

All Aboard

Many of us came here to escape the city but we also wanted a reasonable proximity to it! In addition to our wonderful schools and so many other amenities, a major reason many families choose to call New Castle home is the ease of the commute. With so many of us working midtown and on Wall Street, it’s a boon that New Castle makes parking spots available to any resident who needs one. In addition, Metro North service to and from the Chappaqua Station is about as easy as anyone can expect for a northern Westchester suburb.

Photo by Carolyn Simpson
Photo by Carolyn Simpson

 

Meet Our Town Board Members!

TNC-007
All Photos by Carolyn Simpson

 

TNC-005Adam M. Brodsky, Esq., is an elected Councilman on the New Castle Town Board. He is an attorney serving as the Director of Operations and General Counsel for a New York City based commercial real estate firm with a national portfolio of properties. Prior to his current position he was with the firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobsen. In addition, Mr. Brodsky is a former member of the Fibernet Telecom Group, Inc. (FTGX) Board of Directors, Muhlenberg College Board of Trustees and a member of the Board of Directors of the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corp. He is a graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City.

States Adam: “My wife Cathy and I have been residents of New Castle for 11 years and have four beautiful children. In fact my wife is even a proud graduate of the Horace Greeley High School. We love the small town charm of New Castle and the close-knit community. There is no better feeling than getting off the train after a tough day at work and taking in that first breath of country air. We love this community and could not imagine living anywhere else.” abrodsky@mynewcastle.org

 

 

TNC-002Jason Chapin is an elected Councilman serving his second term on the New Castle Town Board. Jason works for The WorkPlace and manages the statewide job training program in Connecticut. He has lived in New Castle with his wife Chrissy since 1997. They have three children: Anna, Katie and Will.

States Jason: “My family and I enjoy all that our town has to offer, from the events and parks and schools to our neighbors and friends to getting involved with community organizations. We’ve seen many positive changes in New Castle over the years and we look forward to seeing how our town evolves in the years ahead.” jchapin@mynewcastle.org

 

 

TNC-004Lisa Katz, Esq., is an elected Council- woman on the New Castle Town Board, as well as the Deputy Town Supervisor. Lisa is an estate planning, elder law and corporate attorney at the Law Offices of Lisa S. Katz, PLLC in Mount Kisco. She founded this law firm in 2011, after having worked for over 20 years both in private practice at Manhattan law firms and as General Counsel and in-house counsel at various public companies. Lisa graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and from Fordham Law School.

Says Lisa: “I have called New Castle home for the past nine years with my husband, Steven, and our two wonderful children, who attend school here in Chappaqua. We moved here from Manhattan for our fabulous schools, and we spend our weekends running from ball field to ball field, hiking in our parks, attending community concerts, plays and events, buying pies and vegetables at our farmers market and spending time with the lifelong friends we have made here. Everywhere we go we see smiling faces who truly love to be part of this special, bucolic community that feels a world apart from the stresses of New York City, even though it is only a short ride away.” lkatz@mynewcastle.org

 

 

TNC-003Elise Mottel, Esq., is an elected Councilwoman serving her third term on the New Castle Town Board.Prior to becoming a Town Board member, she was a member of the New Castle Conservation Board. Elise is a partner in a New York City law firm specializing in real estate law and affordable housing. She is a graduate of Brandeis University and Hofstra University School of Law.

Recounts Elise: “The first time I visited New Castle was on a Friday evening in June, 1992. My husband and I had been house-hunting all over Westchester County, without great success, when our broker suggested New Castle. That night, as I drove on South Greeley Avenue, the sun was starting to set, and I saw a lighted field with kids playing baseball and parents cheering. There were people sitting in the gazebo. On my right, I saw a beautiful library and a magnificent school that I later learned was the Bell Middle School. I drove through the downtown and fell in love the town’s quaintness, charm and small-town feel. I knew that this was the town I wanted to live in and raise my family. My husband and I moved to New Castle 21 years ago and raised our two children, Jonathan and Beth, with the help of our beloved dog Champ.” ekmottel@mynewcastle.org

 

 

The Town Board is the local legislative and policymaking body made up of five elected members serving four year terms. Work sessions and board meetings are held on alternate Tuesday evenings at Town Hall and are open to the public, with public commentary welcomed during board meetings.

Responsibilities of the town board include:

  • Adopts and amends local laws
  • Promulgates policies about conducting government business
  • Controls the use of town property
  • Adopts the annual town budget
for page 8 Town hall page
Congresswoman Nita Lowey addressing  New Castle Town Hall prior to Hillary Clinton swearing in new board members

Government Representatives

Andrew Cuomo – Governor, State of New York

Nita Lowey – U.S. Congresswoman 17th District

Sean Patrick Maloney – U.S. Congressman 18th District

Michael Kaplowitz – County Legislator 4th District and Chairman of the Board of Legislators

Terrence Murphy – State Senator 40th District

David Buchwald – State Assemblyman 93rd District

Robert Astorino – County Executive

new castle wood logo

Filed Under: Inside My New Castle Tagged With: Administration, Chappaqua, community, Inside Press, New Castle, school district, theinsidepress.com

New Castle is Our Home

August 5, 2015 by The Inside Press

My husband Jay and I moved to New Castle in 1985, years before we hadJill Shapiro at table children. We loved that our neighbors had grown up in New Castle and stayed to raise their children–we thought that spoke volumes about the quality of life here. We think it still does.

There is so much to appreciate here in New Castle: we love the world class education our school system offers with the small town feel where people say hello, the convenience of the train to the city, the bike path and the wonderful parks. There is a great spirit of volunteerism and a sense of community in Town. Even though our two daughters are long out of the house; New Castle is our home and will be for a long time to come.

Jill Shapiro,

Town Administrator

jshapiro@mynewcastle.org

The Town Administrator

is appointed by and responsible to the Town Board and acts as the chief administrative officer for the Town.
The Administrator’s responsibilities are:

-Oversight of all day-to-day operations of the town

-Responsible for implementing policy adopted by the town board and providing advice and assistance as requested

new castle wood logo

Finger on the Pulse

The Town Clerk keeps her finger on the pulse of the community as the keeper of all town records:

-Maintains meeting minutes and agendas, ordinances, local laws, budgets, and petitions

-Handles parking permits, marriage licenses, and dog licenses.

-Provides certified copies of marriage, birth and death records

Mary Deems, Town Clerk

mdeems@mynewcastle.org

Filed Under: Inside My New Castle Tagged With: Administration, community, education, Inside Press, Neighborhood, New Castle, schools, theinsidepress.com

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