OLD SAYBROOK PUBLIC SCHOOLS HIRES SARAH SMALLEY AS THE NEW DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SERVICES
OLD SAYBROOK, CT (February 10, 2023) – At their meeting on February 6, 2023, the Old Saybrook Board of Education selected Sarah Smalley to become the District’s new Director of Student Services. Once an administrative intern in Old Saybrook Public Schools under Superintendent of the Year Jan Perruccio, Ms. Smalley has spent the last 8 years as the Director of Pupil Services for Region 4 Public Schools.
Ms. Smalley was chosen out of a field of over a dozen highly qualified applicants before the field was narrowed to 8 candidates and finally, one. To conduct each round of interviews, the Superintendent formed an extensive committee comprised of students, parents, teachers, secretaries, paraeducators, administrators, and board members. The committee vetted the applicants thoroughly over 3 rounds before the final two went before the full Board for a decision.
Superintendent Perruccio spoke enthusiastically regarding the new addition to the District’s administrative team. “I am very excited to welcome Sarah Smalley to Old Saybrook Public Schools. We were all impressed with her knowledge of special education and the region. Many remarked on her student and family centered approach to the work.”
Ms. Smalley stressed the value of a collaborative approach, saying, “I value relationships and believe that teams of invested individuals are the best way to secure positive outcomes for students.” She went on to discuss her method for finding and providing the programs that help students achieve their goals. “I value outside the box thinking and new perspectives. We provide the best programs for our students by seeking out and creating opportunities where they may not have existed before.”
Ms. Smalley is the second new administrator to join the Old Saybrook Central Office team this year. She joins the newly appointed Director of Curriculum, Dr. Khary Fletcher; former Connecticut Business Manager of the Year and long-time employee, Julie Pendleton; and Jan Perruccio, the 2023 Connecticut Superintendent of the Year, who is in her 10th year.