OA Teachers receive Top-25 ranking as ‘Best in Upstate New York’

The Owego Apalachin Central School District’s teachers received a nice tip of the cap this week, as they were listed in the Top 25 on NewYorkUpstate.com’s most recent rankings of educators in the Upstate New York region.

OA Schools’ teachers were ranked 22nd-best in Upstate New York. OA’s teachers were the only Broome-Tioga BOCES region teachers to receive a mention in the Top 25.

Three Monroe County school districts topped the list. Teachers at Pittsford Central School District were ranked No. 1, followed by Brighton Central School District (2nd) and Penfield Central School District (3rd).

“We realize that some of these rankings can be very subjective,” said Corey Green, OA superintendent of schools. “Still, while we consistently celebrate our teachers for being among the best in the state, it’s always nice to have an independent organization take a look at what we do, then offer kudos.”

“Our teachers, by and large, are not in this profession to receive accolades,” Green added. “That said, when they receive recognition and validation that all their dedicated efforts are paying tangible dividends for our students, it’s certainly a bonus for them to receive attention, as individuals, and for our community’s pride, for what they do in the classroom here every day.”

Every school district in the United States was graded for this report, based on the quality of their teaching staff, to create nationwide rankings of the best teachers by the website Niche.com.

These particular rankings measure student-teacher ratio, overall academic grade of the school district, teacher absenteeism, teacher salaries, as well as other factors, according to the article by Ben Axelson of NewYorkUpstate.com.

Heath Georgia, Owego Free Academy principal, said he’s not surprised by the news.

“I think we have the best faculty in the region, so this makes sense,” he said. “They work hard to do a fantastic job every day, and that’s why we have the results that we do.

“They’ve also done a great job with closing the gap for students with disabilities,” Georgia added, “as well as for those coming to us from poverty. I really believe this affirms the student-centered work our teachers do every day.”

Joe DiCosimo, director of operations and long-time principal for Owego Apalachin, said this ranking makes sense.

“As a principal, I had the opportunity to hire many talented teachers, and over the years have found OA to be a desirable place to work with a very high employee retention rate,” he added. “We not only look for the best, but the best look for us.”

To view the rankings online, visit http://www.newyorkupstate.com/schools/2017/09/upstate_nys_best_teachers_school_districts_2018.html.