News

On July 1, Bethel Public Schools officially welcomed our new superintendent, Dr. Albert Sackey, who brings over twenty years of school administration experience to our district. 

Although initially wanting to pursue criminal justice, a pivotal encounter with students in an intervention class redirected Dr. Sackey’s focus toward education. Driven by this newfound motivation, Dr. Sackey earned his Master’s in Special Education and later a Master’s degree in School Administration as well. He began his career as a Special Education teacher and supervisor and later advanced to Principal and Assistant Superintendent positions in New York and Connecticut. 

After serving as the assistant superintendent in Hartford, Dr. Sackey decided to settle in Bethel with his family. 

Before becoming Superintendent, Dr. Sackey was already familiar with the Bethel school district, as two of his children attended Bethel schools. After seeing the positive experiences they had, he hopes to ensure that every student in Bethel receives the individualized support they need to succeed. He believes he can achieve this goal with the help of the “incredible teachers, hardworking support staff, [and] great administrators” he has worked with during his first few months in the district.

 As the school year continues, Dr. Sackey’s main priority has been to develop a direct and insightful connection with each part of the school community. 

“I desire to get into every single classroom in the district, several times,” Dr. Sackey explained, adding that he hopes to establish stronger bond with the very students he is working to support. 

To ensure the involvement of students in administrative decisions, Dr. Sackey looks forward to establishing a student advisory group. He is also looking for opportunities to speak to students informally in order to strengthen the connection between students and the school administrative team. 

“I can come and just have open conversations with students,” he explained, adding that he hopes these conversations will help him further understand their needs and collect vital input on topics such as the integration of artificial intelligence in the school curriculum. 

His own stance on AI is one of cautious acceptance. He sees the importance of teaching students how to use this new tool responsibly. He expresses concern that “people are relying on [AI] to do the critical thinking, to do the analysis,” yet he hopes that “teaching the proper use will hopefully prevent that” from having a severe impact, especially on younger students. 

Since day one, Dr. Sackey has noticed a strong sense of family across all five Bethel schools. He pointed to the close relationships among administrators and teachers, describing a community in which everyone works together and looks out for one another. 

“It takes a village to raise a student...[and] I think everyone needs to be looking out for everyone else,” Dr. Sackey said, emphasizing the importance of community within the Bethel school district. He believes that “every student in this building has [a] responsibility to look out for” other students, helping to maintain the district’s tight-knit community. 

Following the 12 dedicated and tireless years Dr. Carver has given to this district, Bethel Public Schools is fortunate to have Dr. Sackey as our new superintendent, with his foresight, experience, and enthusiasm to support and prepare our school community for the upcoming years. 

As Dr. Sackey begins his first year as superintendent, students will have many opportunities to meet him throughout the district. 

Until then, here are a few fun facts to get to know him better: His favorite dish is fufu, a traditional Ghanaian dish made with plantains or yams and served with soup. His favorite dessert is pecan pie with ice cream, and his favorite color is blue.