Archive: Around Town

Since starting as Director of Curriculum for the Lansing School District last December, one of Deborah Pichette's top priorities has been to get a teacher center established in the district.  Teacher centers were established by the New york Legislature about 20 years ago to provide ongoing professional education services to teachers.    State-wide there are 127 teacher centers serving over 670 public schools and BOCES, but Lansing is not one of them.

"It will help our professional development as well as bring some revenue and some focus to staff development and professional development in the district," Pichette told the Board of Education (BOE) in their regular meeting last Monday.  Pichette sounded out Senator Nozzolio on whether he would help secure funding when he visited Lansing last January.

The only teacher center in Tompkins County is in Dryden, but because it is a single district center Lansing teachers are not eligible to go there.  Because of this Pichette says the State is enthusiastic about establishing one in Lansing.  "Having a consortium teacher center would bring more money," she says, "but it also brings some problems."  By combining many districts the focus on Lansing's needs would be lost, she says.  With the State budget getting tighter, however, partnering with other districts will improve Lansing's chance of getting it funded.

"The way to get in is to come with a partner," she says.  The State Education Department suggested partnering with Ithaca, but Pichette rejected that on the grounds that Lansing's needs would be lost when competing against the larger Ithaca district.  She proposed partnering with Groton instead, which would provide that district a valuable service without compromising Lansing's ability to serve its own teachers.  Once the State establishes the teacher center, funding amounts to $60,000 plus $20,000 per additional district, making a total of $80.000 that would be funding Lansing's center.

The thick application is due June 1.  Pichette says that if Lansing can meet State deadlines "Our chance of getting this is 95% to 100%" as long as funding is available.  The center will need a director, a policy board and a room, as well as phone and office equipment.  She said that most centers this size start with a part time director, and that the position could grow to full time as the center grows.  She hopes to complete the application by March 10 and present it for BOE approval on May 22.  If all goes well she says it can be operational this summer by July 1.

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