Byrne + Anderson: Retirement, Milestones & Carb Loading
In the wake of Rye City School District Superintendent Eric Byrne’s announcement earlier this week he will be retiring at the end of this school year, MyRye.com spoke with Byrne and the Board of Education President Jane Anderson about retirement, milestones and carb loading before The Game.
“After 32 years in public education, I’ve just been thinking about my future and finding a little better work-life balance,” said 56 year old Byrne, who is leaving before his contract with the district runs its full course. “But yea, nothing precipitated this, other than aging.”
Asked what he will do when he wakes up on July 1, 2025: “There’s a pretty good chance – weather depending – that I may take my paddle board out on the Sound,” said Byrne, who lives in Norwalk, Connecticut. “But beyond that, I’m really not sure yet.”
After 32 years in public education, Byrne does expect to be connected to education in some way.
Milestones
When asked to look back across his service since he joined the District in 2017 and speak about milestones, the top of Byrne’s list is inclusivity: “Becoming a more inclusive school district, and what I mean by that is the creation of so many amazing programs for special needs students and putting programs in place that have allowed families whose children were not able to attend our schools for a variety of reasons to come back to Rye.”
Second on his milestone list is a basket of programs for kids to explore who they are while developing greater skills. At the elementary school, it has been a focus creating an early literacy program that gives kids the foundational skills that they need for success. He reports the District has “people from all over the state coming to see our early literacy instruction these days”. He mentions Singapore Math in kindergarten through sixth grade, building out engineering from sixth grade through 12th grade, the Academy of Rye High School, the work being done to bring the International Baccalaureate program next fall, the new AP offerings and the AP Capstone.
Last on Byrne’s top three list is the people. “The third would be the talented people. We have some amazing teachers and administrators that we brought in and developed and supported and put structures in place so that we’re always in a place of continual improvement with our professional learning efforts. I think the quality of the people here is outstanding.”
He rattles off the names of folks on the central administration team including Patricia Murray (Assistant Superintendent for Instruction), Brian Alm (Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources & Leadership), Gabriella Perruccio (Assistant Superintendent for Business) and Erin Vredenburgh (Director of Pupil Personnel Services and Special Education).
“Rye is in very good hands with them at the top of the food chain here,” Byrne says of his compatriots.
Jane Anderson, president of the Board of Education, has worked with Byrne for six of the last seven years. Asked about milestones: “I think the biggest thing, and everything flows from this, is the development of the Rye Commitment. It is the vision, it is the pathway, it is the guiding light of the district. And that is here, because Eric is here. That has been his brain child.”
She says reflections and stories will come later but that “working with Eric has been amazing” and that there is plenty of work to complete between now and June 30th.
“The district is in a vastly different place than it was when Eric arrived,” said Anderson. “We as a board could not be more grateful to him for the work that he has done, and we know he will continue to do until June 30th of 2025 and we have been great beneficiaries of his leadership.”
The Next Eight Months
The run to the end will be business as usual – the delivery of the budget, working through hiring season (now) and various “phase three” construction projects tied to the bond including Midland and Osborn new additions, “act two” of the performing arts center, the “second half” of gymnasium renovation and art and engineering spaces at the high school. All will be completed or underway before Byrne departs. And outside of the bond financing, the reconstruction of the girls softball field is expected to begin any day.
The Game & Carb Loading
As to pressing issues of immediate importance to all Rye residents, both Byrne and Anderson predict a polished and shiny outcome for Garnet football this Saturday.
“I think Rye will be victorious this time around,” predicted Byrne, while suggesting this writer might consider a tandem skydiving jump into Nugent Stadium with RHS ‘94 grad Jeff Provenzano. “The team’s looking great this year. I stopped at practice yesterday. They’re really in good shape. We’re getting healthy. A few of our players who have been injured will be back.”
“It’s Rye or die,” said Anderson. “I will be hosting the JV football dinner for the Rye Harrison game Friday night. So in my house, the only choice is Rye. It’s the pasta party, and so you gotta carb and protein load. And the team gets together, and they share a meal, and they get hyped for the game on Saturday.”
JV plays at Harrison on 9:30 am Saturday before The Game gets underway at Nugent Stadium at 3:00 pm.
Once a Garnet …
