On the job for two weeks now, Philip Steinberg is getting a feel for the issues that he will be facing as Superintendant of Schools for the Pine Bush School District. The Journal interviewed him as he zig-zagged through a hectic schedule this past Monday morning. He'd just come from Circleville Elementary and was feeling upbeat about what he'd seen there.

"The more I'm in the schools, the better I feel about them. I think we've got a great foundation in place for me to work from."

That's something that Mr. Steinberg has not always had in his previous educational assignments in New York City and, before that, on Long Island. So, with his background in mind, he explained why he'd left education in 1975.

"Well, that was a very dark time for New York. At that time, I was an assistant principal, but there were no jobs because of the budget crisis and I was laid off. So I went into business, and I stayed with that for the next 25 years. I came back to the education field in 2000 because it was always my passion. I was on the Board of Education in my town on Long Island. I really liked the work I was doing there, and so I followed my dream. I was fortunate enough to get a job, and I found a way to turn around a failing local school.

"After that, I had the opportunity to become the principal at a failing school in East New York on Fountain Avenue," he continued, referring to a school serving the Cypress Hills Houses, notorious for gangs, crime and danger — a challenging assignment, to say the least. Steinberg merely chuckled at that sentiment, however.

"With my staff, and with a good plan, we were able to turn that school around. In the end we made it a beacon of pride for the community there."

On the Job in Pine Bush
"I see this as a wonderful opportunity to use my skills to make the schools here function even better than they do," said Steinberg about his new position. "The best way to make that happen is to set goals and then work steadily towards them…What we're doing is creating a framework around our instructional programs, putting in infrastructure to support teachers in their work."

Looking beyond instruction, Steinberg addressed the rumors of trouble in the high school, with fights between gang members.

"Principal Hopmeyor is really pro-active on these issues. We believe that this is not really gang activity; it's more a case of 'wannabees,' who think they're tough and want to be like their imagined heroes. They don't really understand what they're doing, or why they're doing it. I think the high school is safe and there are positive structures there to reward positive behavior. I mean, I have had a lot of experience with gangs — real gangs — and believe me; we don't have any of that operating in this school system. Nevertheless, I will be working closely with Principal Hopmeyor and the chief of school security on this issue."

Next, Steinberg discussed energy: with oil and diesel prices going through the roof, is there anything the district can do to make savings?

"Deborha Brush, Assistant Superintendant of Administrative Services, has done a great job in that area," said Steinberg. "We purchase the gas for the bus companies, so we try to get the best deal we can there. On the bus routes, we've consolidated some routes, to make sure buses have full routes and we aren't sending out any empty ones. Sometimes we run a shuttle between schools too, to help fill up the buses. On the other end, we've also added a bus, where buses are crowded and you don't want kids on buses for too long a time period."

But rising energy costs deal with more than just fuel for buses. How about heat in the buildings this winter? Can the thermostats be turned down to save money?

"We deal with a lot of young children and it is of paramount importance that we keep them safe, and warm," said Steinberg. "That said, of course, we're looking at everything we can think of that will provide savings. This summer they were putting some skins on the roofs. I would look at solar panels. Nothing can be ruled out."

Steinberg also talked about how the Crispell Middle School Annex situation is developing.

"We're getting daily updates on that. We expect to have the first modules delivered around the twenty-sixth of September. We intend to stay on top of this; there's been too much delay already."

There's also some concern among the district's employees about the new IRS rule concerning 403(b) saving plans that takes effect in January 2009. The changes will make non-profit, governmental 403(b) plans more like for-profit 401(k) plans. Mr. Steinberg acknowledged that employees are worried about the effect of this on their investments, but he had some encouraging things to say.

"I've met with the union and we're looking at not only meeting the federal mandate, but also exploring options that would protect our employees who've invested their money in various funds. One thing we're investigating is grandfathering in some of the other investment vendors that won't be included in the approved list."

Part of the Community
Above all, beyond just being a new addition to the school, Steinberg is now a part of the Pine Bush and Crawford community on the whole, and to that end, he's had nothing but good experiences thus far.

"I'm just thrilled to be part of the Pine Bush community," he said. "This is such a beautiful area, it's great to be working here, and I'm looking forward to serving the district for many years to come."

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