Published: June 26, 2008 11:28 pm      

CITY OF TONAWANDA: Peters says goodbye

Having fun has been a big part of Barbara Peters’ personality as superintendent of Tonawanda City Schools.

For proof, one need only take a gander around the office of Assistant Superintendent Peter Michaelsen, whose work space is sprinkled with various wind-up toys, a dancing gorilla and a dancing gopher — all given to him by his colleague. Peters has also been known to hide administrators’ car keys after school board meetings.

“I always like to have fun. I truly believe that if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, it’s going to be hard to be successful,” Peters said in her office Thursday afternoon. “I always find a way to add a little play.”

Peters derived her demeanor from two ideals — the “fish philosophy,” a set of beliefs that are designed to boost morale in the work place, and “From Good to Great,” based on the book by Jim Collins.

To extend the fish philosophy to her co-workers, Peters would often throw a bag of Swedish fish candy on their desks. A fish theme was abundant during a farewell party for Peters, held at the Tonawanda Public Library. She is leaving to become superintendent of the Elmsford School District.

“She’s just a warm person to work with,” said Bonnie Jayne, who was hired as Peters’ secretary when she became superintendent. “She’s always got 10 things more than she can do, but Barb finds a way to do them.”

Jayne said Peters has left a lasting mark with her commitment to both the children of the district and the community, which Peters has called home for two decades, as well her generosity.

“She’s going to be a loss not just to the school but the community as well,” Jayne said. “She’s the kind of person that she’d be so busy, she’d forget to eat, and her husband would bring her a sandwich for lunch.”

Peters joined Tonawanda in 2002 as the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and tackled the challenging task of aligning the district’s academic programs with New York state standards, a process that took three years and included the creation of 126 plans altogether.

The past year has been a challenging one, she said. In October, there were gang concerns and a bomb threat called in. There also were two student deaths. The most time-consuming endeavor was successfully negotiating four union contracts, all of which were settled in the last quarter of the school year.

Although the past nine months were difficult at times, each of the challenges was turned into a positive, because they were used as learning opportunities, Peters said, adding that focusing on the positive is key. “If you live in the past and keep dwelling on the negative, it will eat you away,” she said.

Among the improvements the district has made during her tenure are:

n Increasing scores on New York state math and English language arts assessments.

n Designation of five of the district’s six schools as High-Achieving/Gap Closing schools.

n Setting in motion the relocation of the Central Office to the secondary complex, giving administrators more interaction with students and teachers.

n Getting teachers to work collaboratively and share ideas rather than teaching in isolation.

“From Day One, we knew we hired a high-energy, full throttle person who was passionate about education,” Michaelsen said of Peters.

With three new School Board members starting, a new high school principal, assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services and, of course, a new superintendent, Peters believes the district is poised for excellence. She said her successor, Whitney Vantine, “seems extremely pleasant, knowledgeable and friendly. I think he will be a good leader for the district.”

Calling Tonawanda “a diamond in the rough,” Peters said, “I hope to see great things happen in the Tonawanda district, because I truly believe that the district is in a place that will allow it to move toward greatness.”

Many of her colleagues say Peters helped lay the foundation for that greatness. Peters will also be remembered for her unselfishness.

“She wrote everybody in the Central Office a personal letter,” Jayne said, adding, “That’s the personal touch. That’s Barb.”

Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.