LATHAM — Joe Corr was treated to a range of tributes at a reception in his honor, celebrating 41 years at the North Colonie Central School District, the last dozen of which he spent as its head administrator.
Baskets of student artwork and cards from the schools across the district were on display at the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 24. There, too, was a video and a banner to mark “Joe Corr Day” for Tuesday, Jan. 31, his last day on the job.
Troy Serao, chair of the Student Representative Committee, addressed those in attendance and provided the “thank you” to Corr on behalf of NCCSD students.
“He’s a leader who takes the concerns and ideas of teens seriously and does everything he can to address them,” Serao said. “He’s the type of superintendent, and more importantly, the type of person who likes to get out of the office and talk to people.
The Shaker High junior added that the “important thing” he learned in student government was determining what distinguishes a good leader from a great leader — doing the job, even the trivial tasks.
“He has been a doer, a mover, and a champion for student success,” he said.
Corr expressed how deeply touched and moved he was by the presence of so many past and current staff, students, and families who came to say thank you, but the outgoing superintendent closed out his comments by focusing on where he sees the district is going to go as he moves onto retirement.
“I know we are in great hands with Kathleen Skeals as our superintendent, Naté Turner-Hassell as our assistant superintendent, a phenomenal staff of principals and teachers, incredible families and students here in the district.
“We are going to do great things, and we are going to do better things, and we are going to exceed what we have been doing,” Corr said. “I truly take enormous comfort, pride, and satisfaction that we are headed in the right direction, growing, and making progress.
