Longtime Phoenix Central School District Director Of Special Education Retires

by Contributor | June 11, 2020 10:25 am

PHOENIX, NY – Driven by a passion for helping people, Kathie Palladino took a job 19 years ago as a school psychologist in the Phoenix Central School District. Now, as the director of Special Education and Pupil Personnel Services, she is preparing to transition into retirement.

“There is so much I will miss: the children, their parents, my staff and my fellow administrators,” said Palladino. “This position has been more of a calling than a career; I feel a responsibility to all of them.”

Palladino answered that calling admirably, according to those who worked with her over the years.

“Kathie worked tirelessly to make sure the needs of every single special education student were met whether they attended a program in-district or outside the district,” said Superintendent Christopher Byrne. “She worked extremely well with our families. She built trusting relationships with them, which was essential in her role.” 

Those relationships are what makes retirement so difficult, Palladino said. She noted that having her career end so abruptly due to the pandemic has been one of the toughest parts.

“It’s truly traumatizing,” said Palladino. “Not being able to say goodbye to the children or hug my staff and parents is heartbreaking and surreal. This was certainly not how I saw the last year of my career playing out, but life is full of challenges and there are always lessons to be learned even in the most difficult circumstances.”

When asked if she was counting down the days until retirement, her answer summed it up best: “No, saying goodbye to everything that encompasses Phoenix is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I truly love the children, families, staff, administration, the board of education and this community,” she said.

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/community/longtime-phoenix-central-school-district-director-of-special-education-retires/

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