The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Retiring principal reflects on career in education
Brownstone Intermediate School leader started as speech pathologist
PORTLAND » Nearly half a century ago, Laurie Boske saw her life’s ambition unfold before her eyes.
“Back when I was in the eighth grade, I saw a commercial on TV that involved a speech pathologist and I just loved the idea, and I said, ‘That’s what I want to do!” Boske said. And she did. After graduating from Berlin High with the Class of ’74, she headed off to Southern Connecticut State College (now university) to earn a degree in speech pathology.
“But I knew in order to get a job in a school system I would need a master’s degree,” Boske said Wednesday.
Boske was sitting in her modest office in the Brownstone Intermediate School reflecting on her 37-year career in education which officially ended last week with her retirement.
Born Laurie Swerko, she became Laurie Boske when she married Ronald Boske in 1988.
After earning her bachelor’s degree from Southern, she went on to earn her master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts.
Then, in 1980, Boske began a 17-year career in the Middletown school system as a speech pathologist.
“I was pretty much in every school in Middletown,” including five parochial schools until the state ended that prac-
tice, Boske said. “But I think most of my career was spent in Lawrence and the McDonough schools. I loved my supervisor, John Mazzarella. He was a very kind man.”
It was in part through observing Mozzarella that Boske realized she could be even more effective as an administrator.
So it was back to Southern, where Boske earned her certification in administration.
“I interviewed in a number of places. In fact,” she said breaking into a wide smile, “I interviewed in Portland. But I didn’t get the job.”
Instead, she got a job as director of pupil services in Bolton.
“I jumped right into speech pathology administration and skipped the whole ‘school’ experience,” she said.
She was hired in Bolton by Mark Cohan, and that marked the beginning of a collaborative arrangement and a friendship that endured until today.
When Cohan moved on to Cromwell as superintendent, he mentioned there was an assistant principalship open at the Edna C. Stevens elementary school. Boske applied for and won the position.
“I was at Edna Stevens for two years and then I moved over to the [Cromwell] middle school, where I spent six years,” she said, working with Harry DuMeer, the long-time principal at the school.
In an email Thursday, Cohan recalled his ties to Boske.
“Laurie’s a very good person, someone who is devoted to children,” Cohan said.
When he hired her to be director of special education in Bolton, she saved a program that was “an absolute mess” due to her devotion to students and their parents, some of whom were in real distress, Cohan said.
“Without her dedication at that time, the program would have collapsed,” he said. “Based on what I saw of her there, I hired her in Cromwell, where she was an assistant principal at the middle and elementary schools. Again, she was very devoted to her students.”
Ten years ago, Boske was hired as principal at Brownstone. By an accident of timing, Boske was hired a week apart from Eileen Katz, who became the principal at the Gildersleeve School.
They came in together, and now they are going out together; Katz is also retiring this week.
At first, Boske was nervous about her new assignment.
“I never thought I would enjoy building management — or that I would be a principal,” Boske said. “I doubted my ability.”
“Speech pathology involves a small group of people, so I didn’t think I could control a whole school,” Boske said. “It turned out to be exactly what I wanted it to be. I love grades 5-6. They still have their innocence.”
Success in education “is about making a difference” both in the lives of the students and in shaping a welcoming environment for the teachers. In doing so, Boske said she was guided by a variation on a quote from Maya Angelou: “It’s not what you teach, but how you make them feel.”
To accomplish that goal, Boske said, “Teachers need to feel they are part of a family.”
Her concerns about her ability quickly disappeared after BIS became “the first Blue Ribbon school in Portland” (chosen as part of a national competition) and then was named “a school of distinction.”
Boske said she is particularly proud of the school’s involvement in the “Wings of Change” program. The anti-bullying program is named in memory of Sandy Hook victim Dylan Hockley.
In an email to Boske (which she shared with a reporter), the school system’s occupational therapist (and BIS parent) Karen Reinhart gave an indication of Boske’s success — and the reasons why.
“Good luck to you and Gizmo and the rest of the pets you have accumulated,” Reinhart said. “You brought laughter and optimism to Brownstone, and my kids always reflect on their years at BIS as their best years in school. Why? Because your staff seems happy and loved and they share that happiness and love with the kids and that all started at the top with you.”
Reinhart said she would always remember happy times at the school with Boske.
“I will always remember walking into BIS one day after a particularly down day and your entire front office staff was singing some song karaoke style and dancing behind the counter,” Reinhart said in the email. “That is how I will always remember BIS during your ‘reign’always having time to laugh and enjoy each other. Your words of wisdom to parents were always simple and honest — your honesty and advice will be missed.”
Boske’s office is filled with insights of her “other” life outside of school.
First and foremost, there are animals.
“I love my animals,” who at the moment includes “four dogs, two cats and a bearded dragon.”
Once she retires, “I’m going to try and sleep late,” Boske said.
Doubtful, however, between years of getting up early to get to school — and the biological imperatives of four dogs.
Boske had a whole postretirement plan that was abruptly undone when her husband died suddenly in 2011 at age 53. Boske’s adjustment to that life-altering moment is written on the side of a mug she keeps on her desk: “Life is all about how you handle Plan B.”
Boske has also suffered another blow.
“My Mom is 86, and she’s suffering from Alzheimer’s,” Boske said.
“So I certainly plan to spend as much time with mom as I can now that I’m retiring.”
However, Boske retains a positive attitude.
And she the continuing support of her son Collin, an EMT in both Portland and Ellington.
“I love learning things, and that learning doesn’t stop when you retire,” Boske said. “You have more opportunities and more free time to pursue them.”
She is making use of the free time in several ways.
“I’ve gotten my real estate license, so I want to work on that,” she said. “And I took commercial acting lessons and have a digital portfolio!”
Boske said she also volunteers with the Connecticut Humane Society.
Boske, who will turn 60 in the fall, hopes to become a foster parent for animals who will eventually be put up for adoption by the Humane Society.
“And then, maybe in the fall, I might want to get back to my roots and do some speech pathology,” Boske said.
And if that weren’t enough, “I’m a member of the Board of Education in Rocky Hill, so I have that. And I am running for reelection in the fall!”
It has been a long and eventful journey from that night when she saw her life’s ambition on a television.
As Boske perhaps for the next chapter, her secretary, Cindy Rustek, summed up her principalship.
“She’s a red-carpet boss in the Blue Ribbon school,” Rustek said.