The Peru Gazette

By John T. Ryan

Peru –  On January 2, 2018, Dr. Thomas Palmer became the Peru Central School District’s new superintendent.  His first 90 days have been devoted to observing, listening and striving to understand Peru’s educational culture.  He also purchased a home in the Peru School District. At the end of the school year his wife Laura and the couple’s four children ages 14, 12 and twins age 10 will be moving to the north country. 

Dr. Palmer is a native of Schaghticoke, NY, a small town a few miles north of Troy.  After graduating from Hoosic Valley High School he hoped to become a professional baseball player, but an ankle injury ended that dream. Service in the U.S. Navy was next followed by working construction and attending community college. Eventually he earned a B.A. Degree with a physical education major at SUNY Cortland, a Masters in Education at SUNY Brockport, a Masters Degree in Administration at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina and a Doctorate of Education at Sage Graduate School in Albany. Prior to accepting the Peru position, he served as the superintendent of schools for 9 1/2 years at Tri-Valley Central School District in Grahamsville, NY near Poughkeepsie.

Dr. Palmer describes his management style as hands-on. He explained, “I’ll give you one example. We’ve made some changes in the parent student drop-off in the morning. I was outside the first two weeks monitoring traffic flow. The other day I handed out surveys and asked for student feedback on the drop-off changes. I want their input.” 

Along with groups of teachers, staff and union leaders he has also made an effort to meet with graduating seniors. He explained, “It was voluntary. They’re our product. I’ve met with about 85 of the 140 seniors. We had a good conversation. They thought we have a very nurturing staff. They feel the staff is very caring and go above and beyond to assist. They felt the guidance department guided them and gave them the opportunities to explore the next phase of their life. They made me feel very good that every rock was being turned over to give them opportunities.”  

Peru’s sports history fits into Dr. Palmer’s vision of a complete education. He stated, “Sports melds with academics. It provides opportunities. We offer the kids academics, the AP and college level courses. I think sports brings in time management that blends with academics. Success comes with dedication and hard work.  You work as a team for common goals. Sports teaches self-discipline and balancing emotions. What can you do differently to make yourself a better person? These are the same things that go into preparing for a job.”

One of Dr. Palmer’s immediate goals is to tighten up on school safety. He commented, “We’re going to do a big safety drill. It’s something I’ve seen elsewhere.”  The budget that will be voted on in May includes a school resource officer position. He explained, “That person can be a resource for kids to go to. If there is an incident they are armed, but a resource officer’s primary role is much greater than being armed. It’s building a relationship with the school community. They’re involved with the kids on a daily basis. They have lunch with kids. They get involved with the culture and they’re available as a resource.” 

Required testing is a fact of life in New York’s schools. Dr. Palmer commented, “I believe in data driven instruction, but you have to remember the exams were inconsistent and error prone at first and some children are opting out of exams so we’re not getting a true picture. Thirty-one percent of our 7th graders and fifty-four percent of our 8th graders opted out of the English Language Arts (ELA) this year. State tests are a tool to assess how your school is doing, but they’re not the be all, end all.”

Palmer stated his goal for Peru students very succinctly, “Can they read? Can they write? Can they think critically?” He believes technology must be continuously integrated into the learning experience, but it must also be monitored and evaluated. His ultimate goal is to ensure that Peru students graduate with a resume to compete successfully regionally, nationally and internationally.

He summarized his findings over the course of his first 90 days in Peru saying, “ I think Peru is a really solid school district. There are always things you can add to. I come with a different experience. I just hope to add to the good things that are already happening.”