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State Senator Michael F. Nozzolio came to R. C. Buckley Elementary School Thursday to announce he has secured $50,000 for the new Lansing-Groton Teacher Center.  The center is a project that Curriculum Director Deborah Pichette has been working on virtually since she came to the district last year.  "We're in a very difficult, challenging environment," Nozzolio said.  "Anything we can do to have a competitive edge to teach our children is something we're focussed on."


School board members Dan Brown and Sandy Dhimitri joined Lansing Superintendent Mark Lewis in welcoming Nozzolio to the school.  Also on hand were Groton Superintendent Brenda Myers, BOCES District Superintendent Ellen O'Donnell and administrators, teachers and employees from both districts.  

Teacher centers are valuable resources to school districts across the state, but Lansing and Groton were among about 20 that did not have access to one.  Last year Pichette met Nozzolio at a town meeting, and asked for his help in getting the legislature to fund a center in Lansing.  "He said, 'You don't have one?'" recalls Pichette.  "He's very familiar with teacher centers in Auburn and Syracuse and Seneca Falls -- his whole region has centers."


Nozzolio told Pichette to get board approval for the project, and shortly after she forwarded that to his office.  But she also asked him for $50,000 to furnish the center and to cover startup costs.  She followed up several times through the summer and early Fall.  Two weeks ago they called, then again asking for more information.  Tuesday afternoon they informed the district they'd be coming Thursday with an announcement.

Nozzolio was appreciative of her persistence.  "Special thanks to Deborah, because she not only introduced me to this project, but also kept the heat on, in the true sense of being a citizen lobbyist," he said.  "Thank you for your advocacy in behalf of the center.  I am all for anything we can do in this competitive world to give an edge to those who instruct our children.  That's what this is all about."


Nozzolio said that historically it has been difficult to get funding for teacher centers, and that it is something legislators have had to fight for every year.  "We're going to institutionalize it as much as possible," he said.  "Our children deserve the very best education that we can deliver and the Lansing-Groton Teacher Center will give our local teachers the opportunity to continue training and perfecting their teaching methods.  By making this investment we are ensuring the success of our children as well as our entire state."

The Teacher Center is located on the second floor of the south wing of the elementary school.  Spanning two classrooms, it is spacious and light.  Pichette says the money will be used to purchase tables that can be arranged flexibly for conferences and seminars and adult-sized chairs to replace the scaled down elementary school chairs.  She plans to purchase laptop computers so up to 20 teachers can attend technology workshops or test score data analysis sessions at a time.  Wireless networking equipment will also be purchased.


On his way to the presentation Nozzolio took a detour to visit Sandy Olver's 4th grade class.  He brought a New York State flag with him, and spent time pointing out the symbols on the flag and telling the class what each stands for.  The kids were excited to have a state senator in their class, and several asked for autographs.  After posing for a group picture he promised to send signed copies to them.  On the way out he presented the flag to Principal Earlene Carr for the school's use.

The money announced Thursday will go a long way toward getting the Teacher Center started, but it is separate from the funding expected from the State.  The actual vote on funding for the center is not for a few more days.  "Startup is always hard," Pichette says.  "Whenever you start a center you have costs that you have once.  That's what it's all about.  It is so neat that it's coming three or four days before the State comes to a decision."


"This is certainly going to go a long way toward achieving our dreams with respect to the Teacher's Center," said  Lewis.  "Little did we think a year ago that we would be in this position right now.  The opportunities this money poses for all of us in Lansing and in Groton and beyond, and specifically the benefit to our kids is just fantastic."

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