Peekskill City Schools Name New Administrators

PEEKSKILL – The Peekskill City School District has announced two new administrative assignments for the upcoming school year. Joseph Mosey was named Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, and Frederick Hutchinson was named Director for Reading and Gifted, a newly created position. Mosey had already been in his position on an interim basis since January of 2010, when former superintendent Judith Johnson asked him to take on the vacant position. As the head of curriculum and instruction, he is responsible for coordinating teaching and content throughout the district.

“This job is all about collaboration,” Mosey said. “I work with the principals and the teachers to get them the resources they need to do the best job for our students. We want to give each student an opportunity to grow as an individual and be prepared for his or her future life and work.”

Mosey had previously been the principal at Peekskill’s Hillcrest Elementary School for five years. Under his leadership, Hillcrest received a High Performing School Award based on improving student test scores. Mosey began his career in New York City as a teacher and instructional coach before becoming an assistant principal and attended New York’s Leadership Academy before coming to Peekskill in 2005. He is currently working on his doctoral degree from St. John’s University in administrative supervision.

“I am honored to have been offered this position,” Mosey said. “Instead of thinking about one school and one group of teachers now I am focused on 3,000 students and 400 staff members. It’s like going from a town to a city -- there are more connections, more interactions. We are all pieces of the puzzle. We all put those pieces together to do what’s best for children."

 Hutchinson’s position was created this spring in response to a Board of Education renewed emphasis on literacy. A recent independent study funded by the district found reading scores had stayed stagnant in most grades in recent years and a lower percentage of students achieving reading mastery according on state tests than the state average. He joined the high school faculty last year as an English and reading teacher after a career as an educator in the Albany area.

“When I interviewed in Peekskill, I was struck by how much people in the high school care about kids,” Hutchinson said. “I think that’s true throughout this district, and I’m really looking forward to working with all Peekskill’s teachers and students.”

Hutchinson obtained his BA in Secondary English education from SUNY New Paltz, an MA in Literacy from SUNY Albany, and a certificate of advanced study from the College of St. Rose. He previously taught English and also worked for a regional school support center focusing on school improvement.

“I am a strong believer in project-based learning and the effectiveness of a layered curriculum with appropriate expectations,” Hutchinson said. “I know the challenges here, and I know we can succeed. We have dedicated teachers like Jean Spooner and Romelle Moody, who wrote a grant to build a digital library in the high school. I’m looking forward to encouraging that spirit.”

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