September 2024

Meet the Central/Western NY Community Schools Technical Assistance Center

Contact: cstac@binghamton.edu

Our team has a background in education, University-Assisted Community Schools, and Family Engagement. Read more about our commitment to lifting up community leaders below, and consider reaching out to us directly!

From Delaware County up to Jefferson and Lewis Counties and throughout the Western region of New York, the Central/Western Community Schools Technical Assistance Center is a resource for building capacity using a Community Schools (CS) approach. A CS approach isn’t a new concept—school districts and their County and CBO partners have been working together to help all students, families, and communities thrive for many years. A CS approach is aligned with educational goals, focusing on the integration of academic, psycho-social and health/wellness programs and services to improve attendance, increase graduation rates, and foster college and career readiness. The TAC offers free professional development and guidance to strengthen the work of school and community partners. We hope you will participate in our upcoming virtual events, or reach out to learn how our team can support you, your staff, and their students and families.

Casey Pulz, Director, C/W CSTAC

Casey serves as the Director for the NYSED Community Schools Technical Assistance Center for the Central/Western region. In this role, she oversees the provision of technical assistance to school districts establishing or operating Community Schools in the Central/Western region.

Casey has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and has been part of Binghamton University Community Schools since 2016 in various leadership and administrative roles. As the Program Manager of the Binghamton University Community Schools Regional Network, she coordinated with school districts to leverage the resources of higher education, community partners, and schools to reduce barriers to learning for PK-12, and create an equitable school environment for children, families, and communities to thrive. In this role, she also led the Summer Zones program, serving economically disadvantaged and at-risk youth to reduce summer learning loss through a focus on STEAM, higher education, and career exploration. She also served as the Assistant Director for the New York State Cares for Communities initiative with the NYSED Central/Western Community Schools Technical Assistance Center, which supported community- and faith-based organizations working with school districts to address barriers of the COVID-19 pandemic for students and families. Most recently, Casey served as the Director of the NYSED 21st Century Community Learning Centers Technical Assistance Resource Center for the Rest of State Region, where she led a team of Resource Center Specialists to provide targeted and intentional technical assistance, professional development, and support related to 21st CCLC programs.

Stacy Robitaille, Assistant Director, C/W CSTAC

Stacy serves as the Assistant Director for the NYSED Community Schools Technical Assistant Center for the Central/Western region. In this role, she supports the provision of technical assistance to school districts establishing or operating Community Schools in the Central/Western region.

The Community School model has been embedded in Stacy’s educational philosophy from the very beginning. After graduating from SUNY Potsdam, her first teaching opportunities began in Early Kindergarten and Preschool classrooms. Here she taught extended-day Enrichment Activities to many young ESL students. Seeing how vital family life and parent involvement were to a child’s development, Stacy started her own Family Engagement class called Lil’ Learners. These weekly classes, full of art, music, and hands-on learning, proved beneficial on many levels and highlighted the importance of parents and teachers working together. While originally developed solely as a space for kids to grow and learn, this play space soon became a weekly ritual for adults to; connect with their children, engage with their community, and form lasting friendships with people in the surrounding area. Running these classes for 12 years, Stacy saw the value in building positive partnerships between schools and parents. She also spent time as the Youth Director for the Binghamton, Jewish Community Center. Here she ran After School Care and programming for students on days off from school. She hired many Binghamton University students, to engage and mentor these school-aged children. She offered many expanded learning opportunities, including cooking classes, chess club, and art programs. Stacy looks forward to continuing her professional work with the Technical Assistance Center and reimagining schools to work for ALL students.