NEWS
Honoring Our Retirees
This year, 19 individuals will retire from the Cohoes City Schools. In an effort to recognize all of these unique individuals who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to serving our students, each retiree was given the opportunity to share their experiences. Check back for more stories.
Sharon Poole
Assistant Director for Special Programs
How long have you worked in the Cohoes City Schools?
25 years
What have been the highlights of your career?
For years I have bragged to others outside of Cohoes about the spirit of collegiality and fun I get to share in this district. Some who read this may remember Carrot Week and the culminating parade? The Egg-cellence competition? Step aerobics with Linda in the gym? Country line dancing with Wayne? Retirement roasts?
I taught across the full range in the continuum of services from self-contained classes through consultant/resource services and general education English classes. I also got to help develop and work with alternative education models. Working with kids and staff in a variety of settings like these gave me a broader perspective and understanding of their challenges and the significance of their successes.
The most rewarding experience of my career has been coordinating transition services in collaboration with the Troy and Lansingburgh School Districts and Renssalaer County ARC. These folks are collaborative, compassionate, resourceful, creative and fun. They dedicate countless hours to planning and providing positive and relevant transition experiences for kids, and I have been thrilled to personally witness the difference these efforts are making in students' connection with school, self-esteem and development of personal goals. In my ideal educational world, every high school student would receive this invaluable service prior to graduation.
What will you miss the most?
My "family" at Page Avenue
What message would you like to leave the students with?
Time passes. You can use it to move forward, or just find yourself in the same place.
What do you plan to do with your free time after you retire?
I don't plan to have free time.
Anything else you'd like to add?
The most significant contribution to my career has been through my association with Karen Kemp, Director for Special Programs. Under her direction I have witnessed nothing short of a total transformation of special education services in this district. Our reputation for quality services, evaluations and IEP development, our data collection and our response to intervention implementation brings numerous requests to present at conferences throughout and beyond the state, and brings visitors from other districts every year to see what we do and how we do it. Thank you, Karen.
