Improving the Employee Experience

I hope this message finds you well! I want to thank everyone who came out to the Employee Recognition Ceremony at BOCES this year. It was an amazing way to recognize special milestones for our team. It was a packed house to celebrate more than 200 employees. I’d also like to take a moment to recognize this year’s Ron Dougherty winner Michael Dellacorino. Anyone who has worked with Michael knows how well-deserved that honor is. If you’ve missed the ceremony you can view it on our YouTube channel.

I’d also like to give a shout-out to all of our Skills USA students and teachers who represented BOCES at the state-wide SkillsUSA competition in Syracuse. We had 80 students from across the region take part in the challenge. Of those students, five took home gold medals and have qualified for the SkillsUSA national competition.

Another big accomplishment was BOCES' very own Angel Mead winning Advisor of the Year for Skills USA. Congratulations Angel, we’re so proud of you and wish you luck as you move on to nationals!

Recognizing our employees is just one of the ways we are working to improve the employee experience. I’ve always believed that a strong start frames an incoming employee's vision for their future. That’s why earlier this year, BOCES formed an Onboarding Committee with staff members from every division to review how we bring new team members on board. Chris White has been spearheading the employee experience efforts and has been working with the committee and Human Resources to transform this process to better serve our new hires and, by extension, all of us.

The new onboarding schedule includes deeper dives into what makes BOCES tick. From DE&I training to understanding our organizational nuts and bolts—think org charts, core values, and key policies—new hires will get a comprehensive view that’s not just informative but truly welcoming. We’re introducing an Onboarding Experience Survey to hear directly from new hires. This feedback will be the cornerstone of our quarterly reviews with the Onboarding Committee to ensure that our process remains top-notch. We’re committed to fostering a sense of belonging and community from day one. We want everyone to feel they are a valued part of our BOCES community right from the start.

Chris White will expand upon the process next year as he transitions to the BOCES Wide Manager of Customer service. He will be working with all branches of our organization to improve how we attract, onboard, develop, engage, recognize, and transition employees to continue to improve the employee experience.

I am genuinely excited about these changes and the positive impact they will have on our organization. This is about making sure everyone who joins us feels supported, valued, and ready to contribute to our collective success. I can’t wait to see where these enhancements take us, and I’m eager to hear what you think as they roll out.

As the school year winds down and we start preparing for end-of-year celebrations, I want to thank you for everything you do to make Broome-Tioga BOCES not just a place to work but a place to grow and thrive. Keep up the great work, and let’s finish strong.

Best,

Dr. Rebecca Stone

Superintendent, Broome-Tioga BOCES

At Broome-Tioga BOCES your mental health and wellbeing is very important to us! If you or a family member experiences any mental health issues, remember that as part of your benefit package, we provide free, confidential access to an excellent Employee Assistance Program – ESI EAP. You or an eligible family member can call 24/7/365 for in-the-moment counseling and support – you don’t need to ask for permission or get anyone’s OK – simply call 800-252-4555. Or you can login to www.theeap.com/Educators-EAP to access a vast array of tools and resources, including mental health assessments.

Wednesday, May 8th, (12:30-1pm ET) - Learning to Relax
Register for session:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8F4PFEy1R3GL92RHcF5iGQ

Wednesday May 22nd, (12:30-1pm ET) - Self-Care to Relieve Stress
Register for session:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Z7BVXWoxQM6KhN6L2qGreQ#/registration

Wednesday, May 29th, (12:30-1pm ET) - Self-Care to Relieve Burnout
Register for session:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Zxdc1cBSTNW9OJN1AQZ1hw#/registration

The DEI committee met this month to go over ways to include training opportunities for all BOCES employees. The group will be creating a training video to show to all current employees and all employees during the onboarding process. This video will feature employees from across the organization. We may just reach out to YOU to tell us why diversity, equity, and inclusion are important to you. The committee is also looking for ways to offer the training that we currently offer to districts to our employees. If you have a good story you'd like to share about how diversity in BOCES has influenced you or would like to share your own story about diversity in the workforce please reach out to JBuyck@btboces.org

The months of April and May have been busy with several conferences and trainings. One of the biggest conferences we attended was the second annual New York State Safety Summit in Albany, N.Y. This was a two-day event where representatives of various organizations came together to discuss a wide range of safety topics relating to our New York State School Districts.

The State Education Department (SED) representatives were there to discuss two proposed updates to section 155.17 of the Commissioners regulation relating to school safety plan requirements.

The first amendment proposes that “Emergency drills conducted during the school day with students present shall be conducted in a trauma-informed, developmentally, and age-appropriate manner and shall not include props, actors, or simulations or other tactics intended to mimic a school shooting or other act of violence or emergency. At the time the drills are conducted, students and staff shall be informed that the activities being conducted are a drill.” If adopted at the July 2024 Board of Regents meeting, the proposed amendment will become effective as a permanent rule on July 31, 2024.

The second amendment will bring change in terminology to the current emergency response drills used across the state. Currently, our districts use the S.H.E.L.L. document terminology of “Shelter,” “Hold,” “Evacuate,” “Lock Out, “and “ Lock Down.” The two terms “Lock Out” and “Lock Down “ have had controversy over the similarity of the two which leads to confusion. The new amendment proposes the new terminology to be used statewide will be changed to “ Shelter/Shelter in Place,” “Hold/Hold in Place,” Evacuate/Evacuation,” “Secure Lock Out,” and “Lock Down.” If adopted at the September 2024 Board of Regents meeting, the proposed amendment will become effective as a permanent rule on July 1, 2025.

Happy spring. Just wanted to keep our organization up to date with a list of internal projects either currently in the works or scheduled for the summer. As we work toward completing these projects, I will update you all via our newsletter. So, stay tuned.

(**In Progress** means the funds have been encumbered, and the process has started.)

We also have a few larger projects currently in process, I will keep you updated on these as well.

A big thank you to the Communication and Public Relations, Document Services and the O&M teams for the new sign at the BOCES Business Office!

And thank you to BBO team members Jesula Pierre Louis and Irina Pecheny who were panelists at the NYS Seal of Biliteracy event in April.

The NYS budget has been approved! The school Boards of Education in school districts throughout NYS have successfully completed and adopted their respective school budgets. On Tuesday, May 21, the yearly budget vote will take place in all NYS public school districts. This year, a new early voting option is in place. You can find details from your local school district clerk's office. Remember to participate by voting for the school budget, board seats, and any other relevant propositions.

Jennifer Dattoria was promoted to Shared School Business Executive.

Congratulations to Broome-Tioga BOCES teacher Christie Kelly, who has been selected as a New York State Master Teacher for 2023-2024.

Master Teacher
Christie Kelly earned her Bachelor of Science in Education with a minor in Mathematics from SUNY Geneseo and her MS Ed in Literacy Education from Binghamton University.

Originally from the Syracuse area, Kelly began her teaching career in the Southern Tier after completing her Master’s program in 2012. She has been teaching for 12 years, the past two at Broome-Tioga BOCES in the center-based Oak Tree program at the elementary level. Prior to this, she worked for 10 years in the Vestal Central School District in the fourth and fifth grade 12:1:1 classroom and the third, fourth, and fifth grade 8:1:1 classroom.

Kelly is on the PBIS team, Student Study team, and is the facilitator of the Oak Tree Parent Support Group. She is a strong advocate for her students and works to provide meaningful classroom experiences for them while also meeting their needs and tailoring instruction to their ability level.

In her free time, she enjoys reading or camping with her partner and three dogs. As a New York State Master Teacher, she hopes to not only expand her content knowledge and collaborate with other teachers but also to bring a unique point of view to the group regarding working with students who have cognitive disabilities.

Congratulations to Broome-Tioga BOCES counselor Ami Wiswell, who has been selected as a New York State Master Counselor for 2023-2024.
Master Counselor

Ami Wiswell earned her Bachelor of Science from Oswego State in Applied Mathematical Economics and her MS Ed and CAS from Oneonta State in School Counselor, K-12.

Prior to obtaining her graduate degree, she was a buyer in the private sector. In 2006, she began her foray into school counseling, with her primary goal being to help her students identify and achieve success, their own and those mandated. She strives to enhance her students’ growth in the areas of academics, career readiness, and social/emotional development. She believes the key is learning what is important to each student, providing the right balance of support and accountability, and collaborating with all stakeholders to assist students with reaching their highest potential.

Wiswell is employed by Broome-Tioga BOCES, working with area students enrolled in the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program. She serves on the advisory boards at SUNY Broome for four majors associated with P-TECH, and she is a member of the Professional Development Advisory and Industry Partners Committees at B-T BOCES. In addition, she volunteers with the Voices for Children/Court-Appointed Special Advocates program, The Danielle House, and she works part-time for Educational Vistas, Inc.

Outside of work, she loves being outdoors, practicing yoga, cooking, baking, reading, and spending as much time as possible with her niece and nephews. She looks forward to expanding her network of fellow counselors and adding to her bag of tricks. As she put it, learning from, and with, the other New York State Master Counselors will be exhilarating.

Our student athletes joined others from throughout the region on Saturday, May 4, at Chenango Valley High School for the Special Olympics spring games. WBNG filed a report from the games, as they interview our Coach Chelsea Hinman and two of our student-athletes, Habib and Dane. They did great!

The BOCES Food Services Team catered the annual meeting for the Broome Tioga Association of Chief School Administrators. The meeting was for all 15 component districts in the Broome Tioga BOCES and close to 150 people were in attendance.

Lori Wheeler retired from food services after many years running Deposit schools. Thank you Lori for your many years of service!

Cherry Matthews comes to BOCES with a wealth of knowledge in schools and school food service.

Cherry has worked at Deposit CSD in the cafeteria for two years. Before that, she was a bus driver for Wayne Highlands School District for 19 years. She also worked in their cafeteria as a food service worker providing meals to their students. She was also an administrative assistant at Wayne Highlands for five years. She is a great addition to the team!

For the past few months, the SCRIC has been hosting another “boot camp” to allow staff to learn more and explore potential career pathways. The group meets once a month and discusses topics relevant to a specific role. They are then paired with a mentor and complete homework related to what they learned. This allows staff to get hands-on experience and be more prepared for when promotional opportunities become available.

Andrew Shell who was promoted from IT Assistant to PC/LAN Technician

Josh Ormsby who was promoted from PC/LAN Technician to Associate Coordinator-Managed Services

This month has been a busy one for the Communication and Public Relations Department. With school budget season upon us we have been working hand-in-hand with Document Services to ensure that all community members are informed about the upcoming school budget votes. This includes creating budget newsletters, promoting public forums, making sure all information is up-to-date on websites, and keeping abreast of budgetary changes as they happen. We have also been starting our last push as we near the end of the 2023-2024 school year. With the end of the year comes many celebrations, from field trips, moving up ceremonies, awards, concerts, and graduation. All of these celebrations require a team effort between our graphic designers, print shop, and public information officers. From posters, programs, pictures, and posts, our team is busier than ever.

As the budget season nears its end, the print shop has been diligently working to ensure that all budget postcards and newsletters have been printed and posted. Nearly every community member will receive something from our print shop this month. That's an enormous amount of printing! A big thanks to the team for all of their hard work and the long hours that they spent making sure everything was out on time!

This month, Document Service has received a brand new piece of equipment that will allow BOCES to print on a wide variety of materials. With this new printer, we will be able to print on foam board and corrugated plastic. This means we'll be able to print mounted pictures/posters and even yard signs. It will also open the door for us to print on flat acrylics and metals to create signs. It's an exciting investment, and we're excited to start offering these new items to districts.

On April 11, 2024, students from across the BT BOCES region came together to present their final projects to earn the Seal of Biliteracy this year! The Seal of Biliteracy is an official endorsement from the NYS Education Department that recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in English and at least one additional world language. Students who earn the “Seal” receive the notation on their diploma and are given a medallion to be worn at graduation.

The NYS Education Department promotes the Seal “to encourage the study of languages, to identify high school graduates with language and biliteracy skills for employers, to provide universities with additional information about applicants seeking admission and placement, to prepare students with twenty-first century skills, to recognize the value of language instruction, and to affirm the value of diversity in a multilingual society.

One of the final components of earning the Seal of Biliteracy is for students to research a topic of their choice and present in English or their target world language to a panel of judges who speak the language. BT BOCES Professional Learning & Innovation Center facilitates a day of culminating project presentations by identifying panelists who speak the various languages that are being spoken that day. This year, we had approximately 125 students present in sixteen different languages! The eleven school districts participating in this year’s regional event were: Binghamton, Chenango Forks, Chenango Valley, Harpursville, Greene, Johnson City, Maine-Endwell, Susquehanna Valley, Union-Endicott, Vestal, and Windsor. BOCES and NYS are looking to encourage additional districts to provide their students with the opportunity to earn the Seal of Biliteracy in the future.

For more information about the Seal of Biliteracy, visit the NYSED Seal of Biliteracy webpage at https://www.nysed.gov/world-languages/new-york-state-seal-biliteracy-nyssb
or contact Kerri Bullock at kbullock@btboces.org.

The PLIC is thrilled to welcome two new additions to our team! Stacy Hettig is coming aboard as the Program Assistant for the Virtual Learning Academy (VLA), while Jacqueline Townsend will take on the role of Instructional Support Specialist in ELA/Literacy, offering assistance for the RISE grant.

Ever found your browser acting slow or showing outdated versions of websites? Well, let's chat about clearing your cache (pronounced “cash”) – it's not just a tech thing, it's important for your teaching toolkit. The cache stores bits of websites you've visited to speed up loading times, but over time, it can lead to issues like slow performance and display errors, impacting your lesson planning and teaching materials.

Clearing your cache is like hitting refresh for your browser. It ensures you're accessing the most up-to-date versions of websites, which is vital for educators relying on online platforms and tools for lesson planning and day to day teaching tasks. Plus, it boosts security by removing any stored info that could jeopardize your privacy or compromise sensitive data. In an educational setting where safeguarding student privacy is paramount, clearing your cache is a must-do to ensure a smooth and secure online teaching experience. So, next time your browser feels sluggish or glitchy, don't forget to clear that cache – your teaching efficiency and data security will thank you for it!

To Clear Your Cache:
1. Ctrl + H to open browser history

2. Choose Clear Browsing Data

3. Change Time Range to All Time

4. Choose Clear Data

*This article was written with the help of ChatGPT