Assistant Superintendent for Business Services, Dr. Susan Wallerstein has
announced her retirement effective December 31, 2009. Superintendent
Freund has launched a search to fill the position as Managing Director of
Operations. See attached for more information.
Kim Eves
Director of Communications
Greenwich Board of Education
290 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830
http://www.greenwichschools.org/
Phone: 203-625-7415
e mail: kim_eves@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Fax: 203-869-8003
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR BUSINESS SERVICES
ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
Search Begins for Senior Administrative Positions
(For immediate release: Greenwich, CT – Tuesday, October 20, 2009)
Dr. Susan O. Wallerstein, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services, has announced her retirement, effective December 31, 2009. Dr. Wallerstein has been with the Greenwich Public Schools (GPS) for the last twelve of her thirty-eight years in education. After 38 years in public education Dr. Wallerstein is looking forward to spending more time with her husband, a retired Greenwich teacher, her children and grandchildren. She came to the District as the Program Coordinator for Media and Technology in 1997, with oversight for curriculum and instruction in this area, as
well as the information technology support operations. In 2004, after completing a six-month Interim Principal position at Hamilton Avenue School, Dr. Wallerstein became the Assistant Superintendent for Business Services. Over the last five years as a leader in the operations of the District, Dr. Wallerstein has developed a comprehensive and transparent budget process; provided oversight of a successful facilities and maintenance program, and has developed numerous processes and procedures that have helped to clarify and streamline the operations of the District.
Suerintendent of Schools, Dr. Sidney A. Freund, said, “The value of this position, and of Susan’s work in particular, in an organization of this size and complexity is not to be underestimated. In the short time that I have had the good fortune to work with Susan, I have come to value her expertise and counsel in areas of budgeting, facilities and systems, and in teaching and learning. It is clear to me that her work in Business Services is always focused on providing the resources necessary to support our staff in delivering a high quality education for our students while simultaneously addressing the realities of the current fiscal and political environments. We will
miss her and wish her all the best as she enters the next chapter in her life.”
District Launches Search for Administrators Dr. Freund announced that the District has re-structured the Business Services leadership position, launching a search for a Managing Director of Operations (MDO). This position will report to the Superintendent of Schools and will be responsible for the Directors in charge of the operations of the District, including budget and finance, information technology, human resources, facilities and maintenance, transportation, and school safety.
Dr. Freund has also re-opened the search for a Director of Human Resources. The recruiting, interview and selection process for both positions will span the next few months with the goal of making the respective appointments by January 2009.
Bio Brief: Susan O. Wallerstein, Ph.D.
A Greenwich High School graduate, Dr. Wallerstein began her career in education in 1971, teaching French and Spanish at Norwalk High School, Norwalk, CT. From 1973 to 1979 she worked with adults teaching English as a Second Language, basic skills, and high school equivalency. During this time she served on the regional
committee that was awarded a federal grant to fund the statewide adoption of the External Diploma Program, a competency based high school equivalency program for adults.
In 1979, she joined Cooperative Educational Services (CES), in Trumbull, CT as a Curriculum and Staff Development Specialist. In this role, Dr. Wallerstein developed collaborative opportunities for sharing expertise and best practices, and built innovative teacher training programs in partnerships with foreign cultural services,
national organizations and institutions of higher education. She also served on the statewide design team responsible for developing the Celebration of Excellence program, recognizing teachers’ best practices; and became a national trainer for the External Diploma Program.
In 1988, Dr. Wallerstein became the Director of Learning Services for CES, responsible for a wide range of school improvement initiatives and inter-district cooperative programs for 14 school districts in southwestern Connecticut. Her work over the nine years in this position involved developing and implementing the Maritime Middle Magnet School and the Regional Center for the Arts. She provided leadership and technical assistance in technology integration for schools and school districts throughout Connecticut, and served as a member of the State Department of Education’s World Languages Curriculum Frameworks leadership team.
She was also responsible for administering the regional Beginning Educator Support (BEST) programs.
In 1997 Greenwich Public Schools (GPS) recruited Dr. Wallerstein to serve as the first Program Coordinator for Media and Technology. From 1997 to 2004, she initiated and implemented the first District-wide Student Information System and was instrumental in the collaborative development of the high-speed municipal area
network. She developed consistent standards and systems for the purchase and/or lease of computers and software across all schools, providing equitable distribution and access to technology for all students and staff.
Through these contributions and many other systems and processes that she initiated and developed, Dr. Wallerstein provided an essential and uniform platform for moving the District into the “Information Age.”
As Assistant Superintendent for GPS Business Services since 2004, Dr. Wallerstein has been responsible for the Finance, Budgeting & Systems, Facilities & Maintenance, Information Technology, Transportation, Food Services and Safety & Security operations of the District. She is credited with working with the Board of
Education, Town officials, and District administrators in creating and executing a collaborative and transparent annual budget development process.
She has played an essential role in representing the District on three School Building Committees, Hamilton Avenue School, Glenville School and the Greenwich High School Music Instructional Space and Auditorium projects. She has successfully guided the facilities department through multi-year capital planning and the execution of numerous building maintenance and improvement projects. Dr.
Wallerstein has been instrumental in the oversight of the Information Technology Department including the launch of a District-wide process for upgrading the Student Information System.
Retiring in December 2009, Dr. Wallerstein leaves the Greenwich Public Schools with numerous systems, procedures and processes designed to clarify roles and responsibilities and provide direction for the effective and efficient operation of the District.
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