Recently there have been several articles in the Journal News critical of some individuals’ handling of an investigation.  This occurrence happened more than five years ago and prior to the current Board of Education.  In fact, it occurred prior to my predecessor’s arrival in Putnam Valley. However, when Mr. Tutty and the Board of Education began to look into the matter, one of the things they decided to address was the lack of proper documentation that occurred, not only in the instance referred to in the Journal News, but to all aspects of employee evaluation and supervision.  As a result, there has been in place, established during Mr. Tutty’s tenure and continued in mine, a protocol for conducting an investigation into any alleged incident involving students and/or staff.  I have, in my professional experience, been involved in several cases similar to the one identified by the media here in Putnam Valley and have learned that the one sure way to not only protect the District but to protect the children attending school in the District is to document conduct and/or instances when they occur.  This is a practice I established as the Superintendent in the Taos Municipal Schools, and I want to assure you that is a practice that I continue here in Putnam Valley as well.  There is no greater responsibility on my shoulders and within my own personal feelings, that is to do everything in my power to make sure our students, your children, are safe in school.  This view is shared, not only by the Putnam Valley Board of Education but also by the current administration here at Putnam Valley as well. 

On a separate note, I hope all of you will welcome our new High School Principal Jonathan Bryant when he assumes the principalship on July 1, 2008.  The Principal Selection Committee (which I wrote about in my March “Notes From Space”) reviewed over 50 applications for the job, narrowed down to 8 the number of individuals to be interviewed, and Mr. Bryant emerged as the new High School Principal.

Mr. Bryant has taught for seven years in the Utica City School District and has served
as a Junior High School Principal for four years at the Morrisville-Eaton Junior-Senior High School.  Mr. Bryant brings experience and energy to this new position, and I hope you will make him feel as welcome here as you did me when I arrived in July 2007.

Dr. Marc Space
Superintendent of Schools