Millbrook schools find a new superintendent

MILLBROOK — When former Superintendent of Schools Lloyd Jaeger announced his retirement from Millbrook Central School District (MCSD) last year, the Board of Education immediately started the search for a replacement. After an extensive selection process the board appointed Philip D’Angelo as the new superintendent. He started Jan. 1. D’Angelo comes with 28 years in education under his belt, including a bachelor’s degree in biology from University of Rochester, a master’s of science degree from the State University’s College of Geneseo and a certificate of advanced study from the State University College at Brockport. D’Angelo also has 15 years of experience as a superintendent of schools in districts across the New York state, including Wantagh, Warsaw and Skaneateles. He started his career teaching biology, physics and chemistry at the college and high school level.D’Angelo recently discussed what he hopes to accomplish as the MCSD superintendent and his vision for the district. “I think with my varied experience and what I have done in other districts, my goal first and foremost is really to look at our graduates,” D’Angelo said. “Are they getting into the schools they want as long as it’s within reason? Once they go to college or go to the work force or go into the military, or to go into whatever their endeavors are post graduation, are they being successful? Then what I would like to do is start to solicit information from them and say, ‘What are we doing well?’ and ‘What can we do better?’ and use them as the first line of planning.”D’Angelo said he would then take that information to start to work comprehensively with grades K-12 to address their needs and make sure Millbrook has a consistent curriculum document, curriculum mapping and curriculum assessments from entrance to exit.“In a district like Millbrook, it’s the heart and soul of the community, and I certainly want to become a very active member of the community as well a liaison between the school and the community,” said D’AngeloThe newly appointed superintendent said another indicator of school improvement is professional development. Unfortunately, he said, most school districts cut professional development programs when faced with increasing budget constraints. He said he would like to work with Assistant to the Superintendent Christine Ackerman to support professional development in the school district“I would also like to see a lot of teachers open their doors and do great things; we need to get the word out so our teachers can learn from other teachers,” D’Angelo said. “Teachers tend to work in isolation to a certain extent. I think allowing them the opportunity to talk and share ideas and strategies is huge and will take us to the next level.”When facing state-mandated testing as well as the pressure of the 2 percent tax cap, D’Angelo said the district must work closely with its bargaining units, be creative and think outside the box.“You need to keep your eye on the prize, because ultimately educators are educators because of kids,” he said. “I want to produce the best product we possibly can. I want to keep garnering the support from the community. I want to get positive budget votes in order to do what we need to and be fiscally responsible.”D’Angelo said sharing more services with neighboring districts, analyzing enrollments, offering some electives every other year and talking with other superintendents are some creative ways to deal with district challenges.He’s had practice. While superintendent at Skaneateles for six years a fiscal crisis hit during a three-year period, and his school board cut $2.1 million from the budget. D’Angelo said during that time he only had to lay off one teacher while keeping the budget-to-budget increases under the 2 percent tax cap.“The last budget vote I had in Skaneateles we had an 80 percent approval rate; it was the highest in central New York,” said D’Angelo. “Our state senator called me and said, ‘Phillip, you did a phenomenal job. You have the highest passing rate in your budget, and you need to be rewarded.’”Originally from western New York, D’Angelo now lives in the village, close enough to the school so he can walk to work. He said he looks forward to serving this district and plans to get involved with community service groups like the Rotary and one of the local churches. As much as D’Angelo said he’s looking forward to his new job, he said he’s also eager to enjoy some of the region’s amenities, as he’s a fan of traveling and biking, making home improvements, but most of all, keeping busy.