Administrative changes coming to Oceanside School District

As Oceanside students are saying their last goodbyes to school for the year, Assistant Superintendent Ilene Brandon is saying goodbye to Oceanside for good.

After 11 years in the district, Brandon has decided to move on, with Dr. Jill DeRosa, the current principal of School 3, moving up to Brandon’s position. Replacing DeRosa will be Beth-Ann Castiello.

“I’ve had a long and wonderful and very enriching career,” said Brandon, “and I think it’s time for me to have a little more opportunity to spend time with family and enjoy some personal time.”

Brandon started in Oceanside 11 years ago as the Chairperson for the Committee on Special Education and was soon appointed the Director of Special Education. In 2004, she was promoted to her position as assistant superintendent.

During her time in Oceanside, Brandon helped to shape the district’s special education program. She was instrumental in expanding the district’s collaborative model, in which five or six special education students will go to class in a regular education classroom. The class will have two teachers—one special and one regular education.

“But they’re full citizens of the class, they’re not just visitors,” said Brandon. “And that’s a very big and important distinction. And I think with that, we have really shown the capacity to not just tolerate individuals with disabilities in our school system, but to really embrace and address their needs appropriately. And everybody benefits, because the world is an integrated schools, and our schools are integrated schools.”

Brandon also started the first Best Buddies club in the area. Best Buddies is a club in which regular education students pair off with special education students, and the two spend time together, doing activities and forging friendships.

“I think we were the first high school to have the club, and then she started it at Oceanside Middle School,” said Oceanside Superintendent Dr. Herb Brown. “Other schools have it now, but we were the first.”

After her retirement, which is effective July 1, Brandon and her husband, Ron, plan to go sailing on the boat they own. The two want to go farther than the usually do this year, and plan on sailing up the Cop Cod Canal.