The Lansing Board Of Education appointed Chris Pettograsso Interim Superintendent Monday in the wake of Dr. Stephen Grimm's resignation.  Pettograsso has been the Lansing Elementary School Principal since 2007.  Before coming to Lansing she spent much of her career in the Watkins Glenn school system as a coach and elementary school reading teacher, and then as an Interim Middle School Principal for a year and two years as Curriculum and instruction Director.

Originally from Albany, Pettograsso earned a BA in Sociology at Ithaca College, then a Masters Degree in Reading Education from Elmira College.  She earned a Certificate of Advanced Study in School District Administration from SUNY Cortland.  Her family wants to move from Danby to Lansing, and her two young children will be starting in Lansing's kindergarten and first grade this year.

Tuesday morning Pettograsso sat down with the Lansing Star, in what was to be one of her last meetings in the principal's office for a while.  She talked about her vision of the district, where she will take it as an Interim Superintendent, and the future.

Lansing Star: Promoting a Superintendent from within is new to Lansing.  At least this is the first time I know of.  What advantages do you see to the district?

Chris Pettograsso:  That's come up, having an internal candidate.  (An advantage is) knowing where we're at and what our needs are.  And continuing a lot of the plans we've been focussed on.  One of the huge ones right now is the new teacher evaluation system.

To be aware of that, to know our faculty and staff and the culture of the faculty and staff and the support they need to be comfortable with this... it's a big change for the faculty especially.  And the principals are going to need a ton of support.

LS: It's got to feel very threatening to faculty members.

CP: Right.  I spent a lot of time this summer and through the course of last school year learning about the new teacher evaluation system. I was on the APPR committee.  We had a great committee with (Curriculum Director) Lauren Faessler, union representatives, teachers...  so just to continue that and not have a break in it.

Another goal is to work with our teachers to finalize their contract.  To get them to feel supportive.  There's not a break in that process.  If we had an outside Interim Superintendent a lot would be on hold until we had a full time candidate.

So I feel we can continue forward.

LS: Are there any disadvantages to coming from within?

CP: You know, the disadvantage for me is leaving my building, to step away from my role as an elementary principal when I feel like I've made a lot of promises last year to my faculty, and to the children.  I've spent time with them.  So its going to be a transition for the kids and the teachers in the elementary building.

But everything fell into place with (Interim Principal Christine Rebera, who was appointed to that position Monday), so it's more than just a superintendent -- it's an internal principal.  I worked closely with her last year, so she knows where we're at, and we'll continue the building level things as well.

LS: She has also taught in this building, so she has seen it from all angles.

CR: Absolutely. I have full confidence in her.

She'll do great and that helps, knowing that it's her.  I know her relations with people.  I know she respects people, and I know her decisions are based on children. 

Will you miss being principal?

CP:  (I'll miss) having as many experiences with kids as I do now.  I meet with the student council regularly, and we make decisions together... so I have to find a way to fit kids into my life in the superintendent office.

I'm looking forward to getting to know our middle and high school kids more.

LS: When I interviewed Dr. Grimm two weeks ago he told me the beginning of the school year is the most fun time because things are a little slow in the Superintendent's Office, and he loves getting to walk the buildings and see the kids.

CP: It is the best time.  But walking the buildings and seeing the kids is one thing.  Having true relationships with them -- that's what I'm going to miss, and I'm going to have to find ways to really know them instead of just saying 'hi' and seeing the great things that they do.

LS: Will coming from the existing school culture make it harder to be tough when you need to be?

For instance, at the board meeting Monday someone mentioned that the teacher contract is still under negotiation.  Or during the teacher evaluation process, or if a staff member needs discipline or guidance?

CP: I hope my past practice in working with the teachers has been still the same.  I will continue that.  If there is something that needs to be addressed or if somebody needs improvement practices, I've addressed that as a principal.  Having knowledge of my faculty and some time I have spent with the middle school and high school  -- I am hoping that knowledge gives me a better understanding of where the teachers are coming from.  So when we sit down at the table we certainly may not have consensus, but we can have understanding and be collaborative.

So I am hoping it will be an advantage for me and not a disadvantage.  I am more of a 'the glass is half full' person.  We can use the information I have to work together.

LS: Probably the top benefit I see from you coming from Dr. Grimm's leadership team is that you are intimately familiar with long term district planning and goals.  Will you continue along the path he and his team set out, or do you have tweaks or changes in mind?

CP: As an Interim I think it's the best practice to continue some of the things that we've been doing.  The strategic planning is going to be continued.  We've been talking about it this summer.

I think the last time we really sat down and evaluated where we are at was at the beginning of the school year last year.  It's time for us to pull together a community team and reevaluate the plan, and start to look at what we've accomplished in that plan.  We've accomplished a lot in these past two years.

There are some new things that have come up like the evaluation system, the Dignity Act and how that's going to help us better serve the kids in our community.  So I think that will start to be incorporated more.  The structure of district-wide planning and having a future plan -- that will absolutely continue.  It's necessary, especially during budget time.  Being able to say these are priorities and being able to support them (is important).

LS: What do you think are the most serious challenges Lansing faces in the next six months, and in the next half dozen or so years?


CP: I believe in the short term it's going to be maintaining a level of positive cultural experiences for the faculty and staff with this new teacher evaluation, to really show them that we are here to be supportive and to use this for improvement.  To celebrate our great teachers.  It's going to be a learning process.  So that's going to be this school year, there's going to be a lot about that.

In the Spring it's going to be budget and looking at our programs. Every year it's about evaluating our programs.  Every year we have a little bit of a new population.  I know at the elementary school we have over 25 more students than we had last year enrolling.  I think we're in the high 440s.  Typically we've been around the 409 range, where we've had six sections of kindergarten and five sections of every other grade level in the elementary building.  So we're at capacity right now.

I know other area schools are growing, too.  We're one of the few schools that are actually growing in the area.  It shows in the future, hopefully, we'll see more development in Lansing.  That's going to be the focus for us.

It's interesting how schools have changed over the years.  We're focussed on what is happening with the sewer system, what's happening with AES, what's happening with development.  It's become more important over the past years because of budget.

LS: Which brings me to economic development.  Dr. Grimm was sitting on the Lansing Economic Development Committee.  Do you plan to join that committee, and how do you see development in the Town as it relates to the school district?

CP: Obviously that relationship is very strong.  Economic development for Lansing is economic development for the schools and for the programs that we want to offer and that we know are great for kids.

I would love to sit on that committee as well.  We haven't gotten to that level of planning with Dr. Grimm yet.  I've been working closely with (District Business Administrator Mary June King).  Honestly, her leadership over the past few years' budgets helps my comfort level as I step into this position.

But I need to have a greater awareness of what's happening.  That's a curve I need to pick up on.  I haven't had to focus on that because Dr. Grimm would just bring us that information.

It's nice to see enrollment's growing.  It's showing me people are moving in to Lansing.  I see houses being built.  But I need a bigger understanding of what is happening, what the plans are for the future... even the success of Lansing Market and how that is doing... new businesses, and trying to promote them as they begin to support the schools.

LS: And sewer, yea or nay?

CP: As a person wanting to move into Lansing I think it would help with development.  It would help make more businesses want to come in.  So yea.

LS: What do you think the district's greatest strengths are?

Overall it would be out teaching staff.  The people we hire are wonderful people.  In the interviewing we did this summer we hired four or five new teachers.  It's so nice when you are able to bring in quality people.

I have deep relationships with the teachers.  That will change a little bit because of time.  But they are wonderful people.  It's why I'm bringing my kids here.  It's not going to be easy to bring the kids here with the travelling, but it's certainly worth all of that.

LS: They can probably get a ride with their Mom, right?

CP: Yes they can.  They can probably get a ride!

LS: This goes to a question that I asked Dr. Grimm a couple of weeks ago, and also asked Dr. Lewis when he left as Superintendent.  I think there are a lot of very talented administrators in Lansing, and with the market for administrators as it is, I know they receive 'offers that are too good to refuse', probably on a regular basis.

I asked Dr. Grimm what it would have taken to keep him here.  If you had to name one thing that would keep top administrators in Lansing that is not being done now, what would it be?

CP: I think if you have an understanding of what's being asked of administrators today, it's a lot.  If there is just a general understanding and overall level of respect, even at times of discourse, that would go a long way.  People can just say 'I respect what you're doing.  I appreciate you.  But I would like to talk about this and see if we can come to common ground.'

So I think even in discourse there is always respect and appreciation for where peoples' perspectives are.

LS: It may be too early to ask, and probably not fair, but would you be interested in making the position permanent?

CP: Well that is a benefit of being an Interim right now: the Board gets to see me and I get to be with the Board, and I get to be with the community and see the position.  But certainly it's something I am thinking about.

People are talking about longevity and wanting somebody that's going to be here for a long time.  I've been in Ithaca for 20 years.  I don't plan on going anywhere.  The hard part for me is being 39... I have tenure here.  I know this job is a great job.

What is somebody's longevity as a superintendent?  Not that I'm looking to go anywhere, but for the district, how long does the district want somebody?  Thats something that's on my mind when I know I would like to stay in this area and I would love for my kids to go through this school system.

That's something that I do think about: what is the district's longevity for me?  Not mine.  For some people it's a stepping stone thing.  I'm just the opposite.  Am I your stepping stone?  I do want to be here and I know that.  I think my history of being here shows that.

LS: That's an interesting take.  My take has been that superintendents have been leaving and hadn't thought about it this way.  Do you think that's an issue that it's the district that has a limited time they want people to stay?

CP: I'm not sure.  I don't know.  I don't have the history with the district.  Dr. Lewis hired me, and then he was gone within ten or fifteen days.

LS: (Laughing) I thought you were going to say minutes!

CP:  Or minutes!  I got to see Steve (Grimm's) experiences, and I know at times I felt like he didn't feel supported.  I don't really know where his personal choices were coming from, but I know that affected him, certainly, because he was working hard to support the district.  So I don't have the history to really answer that.

LS: In a way this is going to be a four -- or twelve month or whatever it turns out to be -- interview.  And as you just said, it gives you a chance to evaluate the district, too.  Does that put more pressure on you?

CP: I think it's a great way to see the fit.  Certainly it puts more pressure on, but I think it's good pressure.  It's good pressure especially if you have a support system around you wanting you to do well, and wanting to help you do well.  I feel like I have that here.

I feel that with the conversations I've had with the Board Of Education, the conversations with the faculty and the community, and the leadership team.  So I feel support.  If I didn't feel that support I'd be struggling here, but I feel a lot of support around me, so the pressure's OK.

LS: What are you most looking forward to as Interim Superintendent?

CP: I'm really looking forward to getting to know the middle and high schools more deeply, and to working with the leadership team and the community.  I would like to see more collaboration happening overall, and to really working with people and the community more broadly that I am able to now (as Elementary School Principal). 

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