As a longtime teacher at Canton Central School, I write this letter attesting to the qualifications and character of Cathy Devins, who is a candidate for our Board of Education in Tuesday’s election.
Cathy and her husband, Bob, relocated to Canton from Brushton and Malone less than 10 years ago and wasted no time in becoming valued members of the community. Bob ran for and was elected to two terms on the school board, bringing a wealth of experience, including nearly four decades as a teacher and five decades as a coach. Bob’s commitment to students and education served the community well.
Cathy was not idle during this time. In addition to helping care for her grandchildren, she became a member of our special education faculty.
It is worth mentioning that for Cathy, this came after her retirement subsequent to a 30-year career in education. Cathy taught both elementary and special education for many years at Malone and Brushton-Moira. In 2000, she joined the administrative team at Brushton-Moira, first as CSE chair and then as middle school principal/CSE chair and finally as elementary school principal/CSE chair.
After her retirement in 2014, she and Bob relocated to Canton. I came to know Cathy and Bob personally during this time as Bob and I served together on the Brushton-Moira school board; moreover, my wife was and is an elementary teacher at BMC, and Cathy was her supervisor. My wife valued Cathy as a caring and supportive boss and as one who had a predominant concern: the best interests of the students.
As the BOE president at that time, I was always impressed by Cathy’s preparation for meetings, her attention to detail and her encyclopedic knowledge of special education law. Cathy worked long hours and was always invested in the needs of students. Her staff members respected her for they knew she was a boss with expectations. Cathy was never afraid to be clear and direct. Yet she always conducted herself professionally, with much dignity and compassion. Excellence was always her guiding principle.
As I approach 25 years of service as a high school teacher at Hugh C. Williams, I reflect with much appreciation on the quality of our BOE. We have been blessed by the selfless and often thankless dedication of committed residents who have given time and energy to this service.
Recruiting willing residents to serve poses a challenge, given the long hours and endless criticism that comes with the role. Cathy Devins possesses the thick skin, intelligence, work ethic and experience to be a superlative addition to our board. I urge your serious consideration of Cathy’s candidacy; she is a fine person devoted to public service and the enduring cause of public education.
The writer is an English teacher at Hugh C. Williams Senior High School in Canton.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.