District Information

SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE

                                                                                                                                                January 2013

Dear Community Members,

Please accept my sincerest appreciation for the opportunity to serve as the Superintendent of Schools for Bethany. I consider it an honor to be able to work on behalf of the children of Bethany, and commit that I will do all that I can to ensure a quality education and safe environment for every child. Our students deserve the best faculty, staff, and administration.

I come to you with a unique range of educational experiences, which I believe will serve the community well. I have had the honor to serve students in Milford as a teacher and then as a principal at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. In addition, I have served as an adjunct professor at Southern Connecticut State University, teaching graduate level curriculum development, child development, and administrator certification courses. On a personal note, I am married to my wife, Michelle, who is a teacher. We are the proud parents of two elementary school aged sons, John 10 and Jason 8.

There are many exemplary attributes to the Bethany Public School System. I will honor these strengths by supporting their effectiveness and plan to collaboratively improve those areas that we determine need to be addressed. An integral component of developing unity of purpose and trust includes open communication. It is critical that I learn as much as I can about the school and the community from multiple perspectives. To this end I will be reaching out to constituents, seeking to build partnerships on behalf of the students and the district. I will be meeting with school personnel, students, parents, town officials, and community members to develop a shared vision. I look forward to communicating with you through newsletters and a variety of community conversations.

As the superintendent I will be addressing many important issues. Early on there are several priorities that I look forward to initiating. These include developing and implementing the new teacher evaluation plan and implementing the Common Core State Standards. These standards or learning outcomes will significantly impact the degree to which our students are currently

challenged. These learning outcomes will only be achieved with the assurance of quality instruction, assessment, and a vibrant curriculum to which our students can access daily. We also need to evaluate the achievement of the 2007-2012 Strategic Plan. As we complete the evaluation of this plan we will begin developing our 2013-2018 Strategic Plan.

In addition, we will be developing the 2013-2014 school budget. The budget is the blueprint for the school system and a statement of our values and priorities in educating the children of Bethany. We will develop a fiscally responsible budget, reflective of the needs of our students and respectful of the Bethany tax payers. I am confident that together we will make the fine school system of Bethany even better.

Sincerely,

 John W. Barile

                                                                                                                                           Superintendent of Schools