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Putnam Valley School District at Crossroads
District to replace Super, Principal, Athletic Director
by Ray Gallagher
The Putnam Valley Central School District - from top to bottom, its staff, students and parents alike - will be given the toughest test a school district could possibly take over the course of the next few weeks and months. Standard Achievement Testing will seem like a simple Rorschach Ink Blot Test compared to the examination the local kinfolk will face as it seeks to replace three key pieces of the faculty puzzle: Superintendent Gary Tutty, Principal Ray Cooper and Athletic Director Pete Kuczma.
All three are in outgoing mode, evidently to be replaced by year's end; Cooper being replaced immediately on an interim basis by County Legislature/ Assistant Principal Sam Oliverio, who glowingly sports more hats than John B. Stetson himself did. Cooper's departure came as quite the shock to district staffers this past Monday while the other two departures have been bandied about for quite some time, with no replacements in sight.
The district could go one of two ways now; into the tank or on to the high road. They can either cancel Ringling Brothers and open their own threering circus or take painstaking care of every untold detail during the search for competent replacements. But they'd best get cracking because time's a wasting.
When veteran Athletic Director Pete Kuczma came to Putnam Valley High from Horace Greeley after some two decades in Chappaqua, it must have felt like culture shock for a guy who yucked it up with the well-todo socialites. After all, there may not be two school districts in Section 1 with so little in common as the bold and the beautiful of Chappaqua and the flannel-clad woodsmen (real or imagined) of the Valley.
Truth be told, though, the two districts share the same athletic issues that practically every school in the country does: playing time for Little Johnny, the coaching wars within the district, scheduling hassles and logistics and the like.
These days, heading up an athletic department is a no-win proposition. Somewhere, somehow… somebody believes they could do a better job, they talk behind the AD's back or just plain stab him there every chance they get. Kuczma, who's lived in Yorktown for most of his life, is no stranger to the agenda-driven visits on Li'l Johnny's behalf. He's had fathers in his office this winter crooning the virtues of their children, and coaches in his office who want what's best for the kids, particularly those in their own program. Like him or not, he's dealt with the issues in a manner of class and dignity.
Kuczma once told the Putnam County News & Recorder that, "The athletic program is an extension of the academic foundation that directs the concepts of self-sufficiency, independence and personal goal setting. Our athletes are ones who stand alone, outside the sports arena, after the game or contest is over, and know that the knowledge they have gained through a comprehensive education is sufficient to sustain them in life. These individuals understand personal responsibility and accountability."
These days, he's admitted to having little knowledge about a potential replacement. Yes, Pete Kuczma is a pro's pro, and the people in Putnam Valley should take the last few months of his time here and thank him for all he's done. He spent 32 years in the Chappaqua School system, the final 13 as Director of Athletics before coming to Putnam Valley in 2004, giving Putnam Valley a respected voice in Section 1 circles.
Kuczma has taken the 'House that Conroy Built' and improved it, taking the proverbial ball and running with it after former Putnam Valley A.D. Bill Conroy retired after three decades of service to the P.V. Middle School and the High School during its critical infancy stages at the turn of the century. The time has come again to find a suitable replacement, what would be the fourth A.D. since the high school opened it doors on September 6, 2000 amidst all that controversy at the turn of the century. Y2K had nothing on the Valley, remember?
In three years, Kuczma has formulated a culture of professionalism, taking over for Linda Winchell, who lasted a year. Kuczma's coaching staff, many of whom were Conroy hires, admires him. Administrators rave about him and colleagues across the state will hail his fairness and expertise in the field of athletics and administration. The search for his replacement should be priority No.2, right behind replacing Tutty; another pro's pro, who brought with him from upstate New York a yahoo sense of "all for one and one for all". Tutty, who was named as Superintendent of the Year by Empire State Supervisors and Administrators Association in 2004, and Kuczma arrived in Putnam Valley as a pair of seasoned administrators not too far apart. They will leave at the same time, taking solace in the fact that each has performed to the admiration of their peers and the constituency they serve, something rare indeed among the administrative populace. If leaders stand out for having led those around them, Kuczma and Tutty are among those at the mountaintop, according to Science Teacher/Wrestling Coach Will Carano, who admitted the district/community is at a crucial crossroads and must work together.
"Putnam Valley has their work cut out for them in finding replacements for these two men," said Carano. "Pete and Gary are outstanding professionals and are simply two of the finest men I have ever worked for. Pete has consistently made it his priority to always find ways to help us become and stay more organized and efficient; basically making our coaching lives easier so we can focus on the thing that matters most: Coaching. He's a tremendous leader and I will miss working with him. Both of these men have set the bar very, very high."
Lest we not knock it down.
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