Archive: Around Town

Eric Hartz resigned from his position as Lansing High School Principal Monday.  Hartz has held the leadership position in the high school since 2009.  In a letter to the Board of Education he outlined his journey in education, and the reasons he is leaving the profession, saying that onerous unfunded New York State mandates have overwhelmed educators' ability to be effective.  He said he is spending too much time fulfilling mandates and paperwork that would be better spent educating students.

"It's a very sad moment for me, but I just can't do it any more," he said.  "It's not this district.  It is our state and where we are at right now, and what we're doing.  I just don't believe in it any more."

Hartz worked as a physical education teacher and coach for 11 years.  After earning his administrative certificate he served as assistant principal, then went on to become principal of Groton High School before coming to Lansing.

He said his first years as a principal held challenges, but drastic cuts in funding paired with unfunded mandates that require more administrative time, reporting, district money and resources than he deemed reasonable were imposed on school districts.  A new system for measuring teacher effectiveness based on student performance was mandated for all districts in the state.  Hartz said that punishes high achieving districts like Lansing

"The game changed," he said.  "With less money and less staff came higher pressure on teachers to make students perform with more paper work, testing and a changing curriculum.  Whoever decided that teachers should be ranked/graded on student performance has never been in the classroom."


Hartz said that he is not resigning because of the Lansing school district, but rather because the state has made it impossible to effectively educate New York students.  He has been talking with Lansing Superintendent Chris Pettograsso over the past year about the possibility of resigning as he has worked toward this week's decision.

"It was a very difficult decision for him," Pettograsso says.   "I know he's going to miss the students in particular, and we're certainly going to miss him a great deal."

That leaves two holes in Pettograsso's top leadership team.  When she was appointed Acting Superintendent she vacated the Elementary School Principal's chair.  Former Lansing Elementary School teacher Christine Rebera was appointed to fill that vacancy until a permanent Principal could be appointed.  Pettograsso was apponted permanent Superintendent last month, officially leaving a vacancy at the elementary school.

Pettograsso says the district will be moving 'fast and furious' to fill both positions before the 2013-2014 school year begins.  She said the high school job would be posted this week, and similar processes would be engaged to find the right people for the two positions.

"We're going to be meeting with the faculty and staff and start to determine what we're looking for in a leader and starting that process," Pettograsso says.   "We're hoping to have a new leader appointed starting August 1st.  Our goal is to have everybody in place.  We're looking for community members,parents, faculty and staff to be part of this process.  The elementary position was posted last week.  My anticipation is that Ms. Reberra, who is doing a wonderful job, will be a candidate for that position."

Hartz will start a new career with a construction management firm based in Syracuse.  He says he will be working for the firm from Lansing.  He has also applied to SUNY Cortland for an adjunct faculty position.

"I made a promise to myself 23 years ago, when I entered the education field, that when I either stopped loving to work with kids or felt like I was not being productive I would step away," Hartz said.  "I haven't stopped loving working with kids."

"I would also like the Lansing teachers, staff, students, Board of Education and community to know that I am not resigning to go to another school district," he continued.  "I am resigning from the day to day nonsense that is impossible to do without funding, resources or reality.  Our State Education Department is not offering any of that.  It is with great sadness and frustration that I am resigning from Lansing, a school of true honor, dignity, and pride."

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