By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- New Massena Central Superintendent Pat Brady says he is undertaking a three-goal plan upon taking the helm and hopes to carve out a long-term strategy for the district.

He says some of his goals include further exploration of the school consolidation study and cultivating a working relationship with the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe.

The school consolidation study calls for several options aimed at saving money, one of which calls for closing an elementary school and shuffling the grades around the remaining two buildings and J.W. Leary Junior High.

“There needs to be further discussion and engaging the community to get their input and perspectives before this could be considered,” Brady said. “These types of consolidations, particularly when there is a closure of a school, are one of the most important and far-reaching decisions a board can make.”

Brady also said he wants to strike a solid relationship with tribal leaders in Akwesasne. He said he wants to schedule a meeting with the Tribal Council and get their perspectives on how the communities can relate and their views on educational offerings for Native American students.

“It’s a building of a relationship, of trust with myself and the leaders at Akwesasne, an understanding of what our mission and goals are here for the district and Native American students,” Brady said. “I hope to listen, to gain their perspectives on what they feel the district is doing well and improve our outreach to Akwesasne and educational capabilities for Native American students.”

He said for the time being, he is trying to find the community and school’s pulse before jumping into anything.

“It’s important to listen when you arrive in a community … gather various perspectives, get input of where the district is at this point … before setting long-range goals,” he said.

Brady initially replied to a request for comment on his goals for Massena with the following message:

“Since I arrived on July 1 at Massena, I have received a very warm welcome and I am impressed by the remarkable level of eagerness for this new administration. I could not have asked for a better opportunity to engage a school and community who are ready to move forward from a period which has proven very difficult both educationally and economically. I also feel very fortunate to have spent my career in two of the finest districts in the region with Massena and Potsdam.

As a new superintendent to the district I have developed an entry plan with three main goals in mind:

1. Seek out critical feedback from stakeholders so I can gather various perspectives, ideas, and advice from the different people who impact the school. It is important that I am able to have a sense of where the Board of Education, staff, and community perceives to be the school's strength and weaknesses before we begin planning together for the future. To accomplish this goal, I have been scheduling interviews with administrators, BOE members, Union leaders, teachers, support staff, parent groups, students, and community members. These interviews seek information on points of pride and areas for improvement. They also help me to reconnect with the District.

2. Identify and begin planning for long and short term goals for school improvement. These priorities will be centered on improving academic performance, the school environment, and overall operations. In the short term there is the opening of school, changes in state law for teacher/principal evaluations, developing a technology plan for implementing the Smart Schools Bond Act, a capital outlay project to remove asbestos at the Junior High School, and other initiatives beyond the day to day operations. In the long term, the goals will center on engaging our school and community in strategic planning, consideration of the school consolidation study which was commissioned last year, and budget preparation to name a few. There is much to do and I am excited about the possibilities of what we can accomplish together with the school and community working in partnership.

3. Demonstrate a commitment to leading the school community by engaging

with individuals and groups, listening to feedback, and developing relationships built on trust. Since my arrival, I have sought to cultivate bonds with the community including the Native American leaders at Akwasasne. I attended the swearing in ceremony for officials of the St. Regis Tribal Council and am in the process of scheduling a meeting with them to listen to their perspectives about the District's educational services. I have also attended meetings with local business and community leaders from Rotary to the Back the Pack organizers. I look forward to continued collaborations with the people of Massena as such partnerships are critical for enhancing our educational program.

Finally, I want to say thank you to Assemblywomen Russell for providing additional aid which was requested specifically to make this transition and for developing some long range planning for the District. Our Assemblywoman and state senators are key to our progress and I appreciate their support for education.