NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - Leaving North Salem for another leadership position with a nearby school district is just another step in a two decades-plus journey in education, says Middle/High School Assistant Principal Dr. Kathleen Murphy.
Her resignation was accepted by the Board of Education at its June 3 meeting. It becomes official on July 1.
Murphy has been appointed as the Lakeland Central School District’s director of secondary education curriculum, Lakeland Superintendent Karen Gagliardi said.
She started out in North Salem as an Earth science teacher (Regents), went on to develop the forensics science curriculum that’s still in use today, and later became chair of the MS/HS’s science department.
Murphy, recognized as a New York State Master Teacher, has a doctorate in instructional leadership, a master’s degree in instructional technology, and a bachelor’s degree in secondary education.
Nine years ago, she transitioned into MS/HS’s assistant principal, a role that she’s relished.
Not that she hasn’t missed being in the classroom, interacting and connecting with students, imparting knowledge, and being delighted when she sees how engaged and excited they are about learning.
The best part?
“Watching them grow,” Murphy recalls fondly.
Being an administrator and a teacher both have their rewards, as well as their challenges.
Students still love to pop into her office to schmooze.
(It doesn’t hurt that she keeps a “little jar of mints” to share, Murphy jokes.)
In her new job, she will oversee the development and implementation of Lakeland’s instructional program, meaning that she will work with teachers and other administrators there to align classroom content – for sixth- through 12th-graders – with not only state standards but the district’s mission and vision.
The idea is to make sure there’s “no gaps and no overlaps,” Murphy explained, adding that she also will be tasked with analyzing data and providing teachers with the necessary resources.
Her pending departure follows that of MS/HS Principal Vincent DiGrandi’s, who is moving on to become the Mahopac Central School District’s new superintendent.
North Salem Superintendent Dr. Adam VanDerStuyf sent a note out to the school community in which he said Murphy had had “a long, illustrious, career” within the district as a “teacher, department chairperson, and assistant principal.”
“Her promotion to this new position is well-served,” he added.
After voting to accept DiGrandi’s resignation on May 6, the Board of Education appointed Dr. Roy Martin as the Middle/High school’s next principal.
(Martin is currently the principal of the Pequenakonck Elementary School.)
The board then tapped assistant principal, Dawn Snowdon, as PQ’s new principal.
(The district is currently interviewing candidates for Snowdon’s and Murphy’s positions.)
“Please join me in congratulating Dr. Murphy as she transitions to her new leadership role. Thank you for your continued support of the North Salem Central School District,” VanDerStuyf wrote.
Murphy holds a doctorate in instructional leadership, a master’s degree in instructional technology, and a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. She is also a New York State Master Teacher.
Although Murphy is excited by her new job, she is sad about leaving North Salem.
“I can say that I’m lucky to be able to look back on my years here with pride,” she said, adding that North Salem has been her “second home” and that she will miss all the students, colleagues, parents, and other folks she’s “met along the way.”
After all, grown-ups can grow too.
“Change is hard, but change is good,” Murphy said.
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