Thomas Clift:  

(Updated photo is my daughter, Laura, and me at her wedding June 16, 2007. Laura is the mother of my newest grandchild, Vanessa Lynn Armstrong born 06-10-08.) Life After graduating from Marcellus Central School in New York, I went to Barrington College, in Rhode Island. Following graduation from Barrington I taught school in Syracuse, NY and after two years of teaching, went full-time to Syracuse U. for a Masters in Special Education. Following SU's graduation, I moved my wife and son, Tom, to Ottawa, Canada, (my second son, Tim, was born shortly after) and worked in program development in the Ottawa Separate Schools in the areas of Learning Disabilities and The Emotionally Disturbed. Loved living in Ottawa, but after three years, an opportunity at home beckoned so I took my little family back to Syracuse where I taught, and went back to graduate school for administrative training. I was an Elementary principal in Syracuse,for three years, then the Disrict's Director of Special Education for the next five. I had two more children, Laura and David, during that period. In 1982, we relocated to the foothills of the Adirondacks; Glens Falls. I worked as Director of Special Education with the local four-county BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services). Over time, the position grew into Director of Instructional Services (to iclude Vocational, Alternative, Adult and Continuing Education Programs) then in 1993 we merged with another BOCES, making the new organizaton a 32 school district cooperative. I f...Expand for more