Summer school begins Monday, July 8
Former Albany High School Interim Principal Dale Getto has announced her retirement following a 31-year career as a teacher and administrator in the City School District of Albany. The Board of Education accepted Getto’s resignation Thursday night.
Getto (pictured at right in foreground) served as a member of the Albany High administrative team for 7½ years and as the school’s leader for the last 2½ years. She was an instrumental part of the school’s progress during that time.
Albany High’s graduation rate increased 15 percentage points from 2010-17; the 65 percent graduation rate for the Class of 2017 is the school’s highest since the state started measuring graduation rates under its current methodology in 2005.
“Dale Getto has served Albany High School, our entire school district and our community with energy and passion for more than three decades,” said Superintendent Kaweeda G. Adams.
“The type of progress Albany High has seen in recent years is always a team effort, but Dale Getto has been a key leader on that team for many years. We will miss her dedication, her compassion and her leadership.”
“On behalf of the Board of Education, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Dale for her outstanding service to our students and families for the past 30-plus years,” said Board President Sue Adler. “Her effective stewardship at Albany High School has helped us move forward and positioned us well for even greater gains in the future.”
Getto’s retirement is effective March 17.
Getto originally had planned to retire at the end of the 2016-17 school year. She committed to return for 2017-18 to allow the district an opportunity to conduct a thorough search for her replacement.
The board appointed Jodi Commerford, Albany High’s second-in-command under Getto, as the school’s new principal in January.
Getto joined the district as an elementary teacher in 1987 and worked in that role for 10 years at Giffen Memorial Elementary School and Albany School of Humanities (ASH). She served as the district’s first district-wide behavior specialist from 1997-2001, and as an administrator at William S. Hackett Middle School, Abrookin Career and Technical Center and North Albany Academy from 2001-2010.
The mission of the City School District of Albanyis to work in partnership with our diverse community to engage every learner in a robust educational program designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for success. The district serves about 9,600 students in 18 elementary, middle and high schools. In addition to neighborhood schools, the district includes several magnet schools and programs, as well as other innovative academic opportunities for students, including four themed academies at Albany High School.
