Joan Weber Toasted at Grand Retirement Celebration

Though I have been watching Scarsdale school board meetings for the last seven years, I never understood the power behind the petite, demure woman who announced the comings and goings of district personnel. Without great fanfare, Joan Weber routinely served notice that a teacher had been granted tenure or was retiring from the Scarsdale Schools, always adding an insightful personal fact about their family, talents or favorite pastimes.

Little known to me -- or to many in Scarsdale -- Weber quietly managed the teaching staff, administrators, professional development, and global and arts initiatives for the entire district for over 32 years. She recruited the faculty, nurtured their talents, made key staffing decisions and supervised hundreds, if not thousands, over the course of her career.

During her tenure she saw five superintendents come and go and as current Superintendent Thomas Hagerman said, Joan "whispered in their ears" to keep them on track.

What's most impressive is the number of friends she made along the way. Almost 400 current and retired teachers, administrators, colleagues, school board members, PTA leaders, parents and family members came to the Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club on Thursday June 18 for Weber's retirement dinner, where the evening opened with two musical selections from the 54-member Scarsdale High School wind ensemble. The serenade was a fitting tribute to a woman who has been a big supporter of the arts in the schools and initiated a program at Lincoln Center for the districts elementary school students.

Even more surprising than all her work on behalf of Scarsdale, was what she accomplished outside of school. It turns out that Weber has five children - several who are doctors – plus ten grandchildren and also serves on the Hawthorne Cedar Knolls Board of Education. Though many find it hard to sit still through a single Scarsdale Board of Education meeting, Weber has been doing double duty for many years – attending Scarsdale meetings in her professional capacity and Hawthorne meetings as a volunteer. To anyone who thinks, they have too much on their plate," take a look at Joan and you'll see what a determined person can accomplish.

Tributes to Joan were amusing, lengthy and a testament to her many talents. David Wixted, President of the Scarsdale Teacher's Association, with whom she negotiated called her "cool, clam and unflappable." He said she was a case of "the right person, in the right place at the right time." He continued, "you do what is right with compassion and acknowledge the worth of every individual. We are better for the time we spent with you."

Trudy Moses, the former head of the STA, advised Weber to "sit back and take it all in as we treasure you.!"

Scarsdale Middle School Principal Michael McDermott compared Weber to "a rare Stradivarius violin to be handled with care." He mentioned her signature hand written thank you notes and felt lucky to be a "FOJ," that is a "friend of Joan."

Technology Director Jerry Crisci and SHS Dean Michael Gibbs produced a wonderful video tracing Weber's beginnings in Brooklyn to her education at NYU and ultimately to Columbia Teacher's College where she wrote a 300-page dissertation. She was an only child, a gifted student and a dancer. She studied English and Political Science at NYU, and earned a masters degree in English at NYU. When her husband, who is a physician, was training in Virginia, she taught school in a rural Southern town and later taught in Hawthorne. After she earned her doctorate from Columbia Teacher's College, Scarsdale Superintendent Thomas Sobol selected her out of 300 candidates to be the district's director of personnel, a position she held for 32 years. During her tenure she brought educators, academics and proponents of human rights to visit Scarsdale, founded the Interdependence Institute and
championed professional development and the arts.

Former Scarsdale Superintendent Dick Hibschmann toasted Weber saying that impacted so many. He credited her with managing the district's health plan, maintaining a good relationship with the teacher's union and school board members, using her "inside voice."

Channeling Weber, School Board Member Suzanne Seiden said, "We accept with regret the retirement of Joan Weber," and then gave a humorous list of the "Top 10 Things Joan Would Like to Say."

1) Little known fact about Joan ... she has the tiniest handwriting
2) She is a big doodler during meetings (so that's how she sits through so many meetings!)
3) She wanted to be a ballet dancer
4) She loves pastries, bakes rugelach and does not let her husband Karl have any.
5) Joan is a school board member at Hawthorne Cedar Knolls
6) Her family of doctors has examined and operated on everyone in Scarsdale
7) She was chosen out of 300 candidates for her job
8) She has paid tuition for her children to at least ten institutions
9) She has ten dogs
10) She does not who the Kardashians are.

Former Superintendent Michael McGill called Weber "a mother lion who has cared for Scarsdale with elegance, wisdom and diplomacy." He said she "resolves thorny problems, and does what's right for the children first, the adults next and always what's right for the institution." He told her, " you nurtured the substance and the spirit of the Scarsdale schools and are at the heart of the schools. You are irreplaceable."

Cathy Inello and Denise Mulqueen, who worked with Weber day-in and day-out in the personnel office read a beautiful poem written by a former teacher and called her their "hero, role model, friend and advisor," adding, "and sometimes we let you be our boss."

Harriet Sobol, wife of former superintendent Tom Sobol called her a "tiny woman with a tiny voice and perfect handwriting" who Sobol's husband Tom hired to be the district's "Finder/Keeper." She said the Weber did "her work quietly, not drawing attention to her efforts."

Sobol said that Weber learned the following:

-Cherish the culture of caring. Learn empathy. Look at things from others point of view.
-Find teachers and principals who want to learn
-Have courage
-Bring music, theatre and art to all for the Arts are the lifeblood of humanity. Lincoln Center -Education will guide you
-Don't be afraid to dream. Help others to dream What if there is no book, bell or schedule? What do we want future schools to be?
-Have joint committees with teachers and principals for decision making and to resolve conflicts .
-Be prompt to administrative council meetings.

Reading proclamations from the community, Superintendent Hagerman expressed gratitude and respect and thanked Weber on behalf of Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Mayor Jon Mark, and the Board of Trustees, declaring June 18th Joan H. Weber Day in Scarsdale. Hagerman joked, "It's been a pleasure to work FOR you .... I mean WITH you. Your spirit will continue."

Diane Celentano, Trudy Moses and Susan Taylor suggested that Weber be the next woman on the $10 bill and presented her with a gift box from Tiffany's. They welcomed her "to the soul sisterhood of retirees."

The night ended with the last word, or should I say words from Weber herself, who thanked everyone for the extraordinary evening. She said I have been "mythologized and eulogized .... It's a surprise party and a funeral at the same time."

She remembered arriving at district with 3,800 students that has now has grown by 1,000 students. She marveled at the paradigm shift in American education that has "the U.S. trying to implement what China is trying to get rid of," with testing and assessments dominating the conversation. Mocking acronyms such as APPR (Annual Professional Performance Review and AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) she said what we now have is CRAP. In a lengthy last will and testament she used cartoons to make a comical speech about the challenges faced by the schools including helicopter parents, the advent of technology and rising health care costs.

Here are just a few of her legacies: She granted Dr. Hagerman a cloak to preserve his magical powers and calendars to meet every schedule. Mocking the state education department she showed a cartoon that read, "there is a light at the end of the tunnel .... It's in New Jersey!"

She wished the new Superintendent of Business a "carefully crafted budget" and advised her replacement, the interim director of Human Resources, "to get to know everyone and to be candid with the superintendent."

For the board, she showed a cartoon of board members lying underneath a conference table and granted them "a new way of holding meetings." She wished them a successful round of negotiations.

She ended with a cartoon that read, "If we take a late retirement and an early death we'll just squeak by." She followed with a beautiful video photomontage of some of her memories of Scarsdale including visits from international guests, international families, trips abroad, outings to Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and photos from the international fair.

She concluded with the following advice:

Laugh More
Gripe Less
Ignore Critics
Say Yes
Order Dessert
Love Life