Teachers will be the reason behind school program’s success

Thursday, 19 January 2012 01:00

To the Editors:

I want to thank The Lewisboro Ledger and reporter Matt Spillane for highlighting the RTI (Response to Intervention) program of the Katonah-Lewisboro School District in last week's paper.

RTI is a program that will get off the ground in the 2012-13 school year, and is central to ensuring that our district preserves its high-performing status. In this era of increased testing and competitiveness, we want to ensure that our students are able to realize their promise as actual lifelong learners, not just test-takers, and RTI will be a big push in this direction.

But the heart of the RTI program is the building staff, especially the teachers who interact with students on the highest level. Our community should be made aware that work on RTI by the teachers and others was well underway before I arrived in the district. These folks are in the trenches and know exactly what individual students need to elevate their academic achievement. Their embrace of this work is central to its success, and we will owe all credit to them as RTI begins to have a positive impact on learning. Teachers don't just teach; they observe, intercede, and nurture our students to get the best from them. Katonah-Lewisboro has an extremely strong and caring faculty, and I thank them for their future leadership and expertise in this program.

Dr. PAUL KREUTZER

Superintendent of Schools

Jan. 13