Social workers

Question: I was told there is a chance that Mr. Gottung may not be with us next year. Is this true? Mr. Gottung and Mrs. DuFresne are a necessary part of the school staff. Many students benefit greatly from the services they offer. They are always very busy and stretched thin, but they still do an awesome job. I fear what would happen if only one of them were available next year. Please consider keeping Mr. Gottung AND Mrs. DuFresne if at all possible. Please consider the great things these two people do for our students and the great stress it would put on the students if one of them was not here next year.

Answer: First, thank you for all the kind words you wrote about Mr. Gottung and Mrs. DuFresne. I agree -- the services our social workers provide to our students are extremely valuable. So I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that not only are Mr. Gottung and Mrs. DuFresne staying for the 2012-13 school year, but we're also increasing our social worker staff to four full-time people (up from 3.5 FTE, or full-time equivalent). Each school building will have a dedicated social worker. We were able to make this happen as a direct result of the savings the district will realize from the new Broadalbin-Perth Teachers' Association (BPTA) contract.
- answered by Stephen Tomlinson, Superintendent of Schools