Dear Editor,<\/p>\n
I am a retired 32-year veteran educator, with 12 years of experience in building and central office administration and 20 years in teaching. I believe these experiences and my long-term commitment to and involvement in our community will serve me well as a school board member. In this capacity I will focus on maintaining and enhancing the quality of education in the Owego Apalachin school district in a fiscally responsible manner.<\/p>\n
I began my career in the fall of 1983 as a science teacher for the Owego Apalachin Central School District. I taught all levels of high school biology and middle school science until 2002. I have experience as a science department chair, mentor for new teachers, softball coach, science club and class advisor. I also did my administrative internship in the Owego Apalachin Central School district under central office and high school leadership. I hold a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Masters of Arts in Teaching from Binghamton University, and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in School District Administration from SUNY Cortland.<\/p>\n
In August of 2004, I was appointed as a central office administrator for the Binghamton City School District as the Director of Personnel. Prior to that appointment, I was a building level administrator for Chenango Forks High School, BT-BOCES summer school principal for grades seven to 12 and summer enrichment principal for Owego Apalachin children grades kindergarten through eight.<\/p>\n
As a member of the Owego Apalachin Central School Board of Education, I will take responsibility to build consensus among stakeholders. I am a good listener and capable of making decisions that can support group decision-making.\u00a0I am excited to confront the tough challenges facing our district and work collegially to rise above them and help our students in our community succeed. The Board of Education has a responsibility to appropriately monitor the results of district policy and school programs implemented by administration. My talents and experience lend to these tasks.<\/p>\n
My primary goal is to foster a positive relationship between all stakeholders to make a difference in the lives and the futures of Owego Apalachin children. As a resident, I have always had a vested interest in our district and have supported initiatives the have created positive learning environments. I enjoy attending school functions and meeting people.<\/p>\n
My husband Walt and I have been Owego residents for 39 years. My husband is retired from Lockheed Martin after 40 years of service and is a 1972 Owego Free Academy graduate. Our daughters, Melissa, a former elementary teacher who is currently enrolled in a Doctorate Program in Chiropractic Medicine, and Stacy, an ICU nurse at Binghamton General, are also OFA graduates. I believe their success is due in part to the quality of education they received during their years in the Owego Apalachin Central District. I humbly ask for your support and your vote on May 17.<\/p>\n
Sincerely,<\/p>\n
Linda Gretz<\/p>\n
Owego, N.Y.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Editor, I am a retired 32-year veteran educator, with 12 years of experience in building and central office administration and 20 years in teaching….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-letters"],"yoast_head":"\n