On Monday, December 11th, the Board of Education appointed District Clerk, and Director of Technology, Dr. Colin Byrne as Interim Assistant Superintendent for curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Dr.Byrne will start his new role on January 2nd, and in turn, take a leave of absence from his current positions. The Assistant Superintendent position was formerly held by Superintendent, Dr. Jonathan Ross, however, the prior position was focused on district facility and finances. Since Dr.Ross’s appointment in 2016, the Assistant Superintendent position has been left vacant.
Commenting on his new position Byrne stated, “ I am very excited about the opportunity to take on a new role in the district. I did not know that Dr. Ross was going to offer me the position, but was honored that he felt that I was up to the task.”
Some of his roles will be coordinating and evaluating the kindergarten through 12th-grade curriculum, advancing the use of technology in the classroom as well as trying to move toward more project-and problem-based learning.
After working at Blind Brook for 15 years, and having a great deal of knowledge about the district, Dr. Ross found Dr. Byrne a good fit for the position. “ I have full confidence in Dr. Byrne and expect he will work collaboratively with all constituents in promoting best practices in educating K-12 students and achieving District goals.” Dr. Ross said.
In regards to instruction, Dr.Byrne will be focusing on establishing an alternative teaching model. “As an Interim, my job will be to start working on some initiatives that the district has not been able to make progress on. These include establishing a solid district-wide professional development initiative to help us move towards a different model of teaching and learning as well as creating a strategic plan for the district that will encompass all aspects of teaching and learning. The goal is for me to put the pieces in place,” said Byrne.