A recent change in the Brewster Central School District has created a positive reaction within our school community. Dr. Laurie Bandlow, superintendent of BCSD for five years, will be stepping down in her position. Prior to her role in Brewster, she has held the positions of an elementary school teacher, middle school teacher, vice principal, elementary school principal, middle school principal and parent academy director. Dr. Bandlow saw a bright future here in Brewster, and as sad as we all are to see her go, she trusts that Dr. Gosh will proudly represent the district’s goals and the goals that she has set in place for the future of Brewster’s community.
Previously, Dr. Gosh has been a Social Studies teacher, an assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment and deputy superintendent. She has been Assistant Superintendent since 2016 . Dr. Gosh will begin leading the district when Dr. Bandlow retires later this year. Dr. Gosh has created a profound reputation in Brewster, and many are excited to see what her next step is.
Dr. Gosh focuses on the transformative approach to curriculum, instruction, and assessment. She demonstrates a keen understanding of the rapidly changing educational environment and leads the development of a curriculum aligned with rigorous college and career preparation standards. Throughout her entire career at Brewster Schools, Dr. Gosh has spearheaded initiatives that have positioned Brewster Central School District as a leader in innovation within the tri-state region. She is committed to preparing students for the future, not just the present, and promotes a flexible approach to curriculum development, instructional innovation, and assessment strategies.
This approach reflects a commitment to ensuring that every student in BCSD is well-prepared for success in an increasingly dynamic and competitive global society. With Dr. Gosh’s involvement in academics as well as sports, going back to when she was the Varsity Softball Coach from 2003 -2007, she has always had the Brewster community as her top priority, and the students and families can’t wait to see her accomplishments in the future!
Taking Dr. Gosh’s place at the end of the year will be Mrs. Andriello, former principal and 3rd-grade teacher at C.V. Starr Intermediate School, who started her journey in Brewster in 2004. She claims that she “immediately felt at home,” even after experiencing working in White Plains and NYC. Mrs. Andriello has never thought about leaving, as she saw opportunities and support from her colleagues, especially from how they have seen her grow. She admires being challenged as a professional by her peers and growing along with everyone in the community. She loves the Brewster community and considers it a privilege to be a part of it.
Her newly acquired position requires discovering and learning as she takes the ropes of this new challenge. Her position mostly focuses on the curriculum of the district, Pre-K to 12, and prioritizing the needs of the students. It’s important for her to evaluate if there is growth and to adjust if she’s not seeing the desired outcomes. Other responsibilities include reviewing learning systems, staying up to date with education policy, making adjustments as needed, working with teachers and students, and building the best relationships among the community to ensure the comfort of all families and faculty.
When evaluating taking the position, a huge positive for Mrs. Andriello was seeing the parent’s involvement and desire to improve things. To her, partnership, a great diverse student body, and unique learning opportunities have given her every reason to be a part of Brewster’s future and success. Specifically, she noted the robotics team at Brewster High School and declared how impressive their achievement was at a recent competition at Hudson Valley Regionals. Additionally, she applauds the Incubator class and their trip to Chicago as they made the national finals in the Biz Pitch Contest. Mrs. Andriello wants to be a part of the students’ perseverance process and overall appreciates the supportive and amazing faculty. She explains that “it’s like being in a family,” and with this family, she can’t wait to take advantage of those growth opportunities.
When asked what she wanted people to know about the Brewster district most, she emphasized how dynamic the community truly is. “We rally around each other, support each other, and truly care for a district that is full of so many opportunities for children and faculty. I applaud the teachers who come back after attending school here years prior; it speaks volumes. I would wholeheartedly recommend moving to Brewster, no doubt.”
While moving up in the ranks, she’s still most excited to see the Pre-K program grow and progress through the school system. For her, the implementation of Pre-K, as well as the new foundation and benefits in BCSD, is a game changer. Mrs. Andriello looks forward to hearing from faculty and students on what they want to improve upon, as this is what makes Brewster so collaborative and interconnected. When thinking about Brewster’s future and improvements that are sufficient to the community’s growth, she feels that everything can just keep getting better and better, as we are continuously moving towards success. Instructional continua, being supportive, and painting a holistic picture of who a student is, are all long-term goals for not just her, but Dr. Gosh as well. For “somebody who didn’t end up thinking they were going to become a teacher, I was constantly involved with kids, even in college when working in a homework help program. I was the happiest when working with children. I learned to be empathetic, sincerely wanted to understand who people are, and wanted to help them in every possible way. Even from the beginning, I was building relationships, as it was important to support the community. I was told, and will never forget from my very first principal in NYC, that kids will always rise to the occasion.”
With exchanging words with Mrs. Andriello, and briefly conversing with Dr. Gosh in passing, there is an apparent confidence visible in their skills to achieve the ideal image of what Brewster truly represents. These new perspectives have taken seed and grown with our faculty and families over the years, making us their priorities over everything. Mrs. McCabe-Andriello reminded me that, “it’s not just a job that has work hours, you have to be invested. You have to want to be here. You have to remember you are working alongside people, you aren’t just supervising. This role is more than just the title of the position. It’s work, and it’s not easy work, but it’s worth it and I have a lot of fun doing it. The good days outweigh every bad one, and that says a lot.”
