Dr. Charles Territo

The Allegheny Valley School District is very fortunate to have Dr. Charles Territo as Superintendent. In one short conversation with him, one finds that he deeply appreciates and highly values each student, teacher, administrator and community member in his district. Dr. Territo leads as a man of vision who has the experience and expertise to implement new programs that are propelling the district forward in a pursuit of excellence. Students, parents, and teachers know him as a strong leader with a warm, down to earth personality.

Elaborating on what makes the Allegheny Valley District unique, Dr. Territo narrows it down to one element, the students. “The students are the most special part of our district. They are committed, very easy to teach, and very easy to work with. They value their education and their families value their education,” he explains. Dr Territo also mentions how proud he was of the students in their recent WPIAL Championship victory. Last fall Springdale High School fought its way to becoming the WPIAL Class A Champions in football. For Dr. Territo, his thrill was not in the winning but in the “sportsmanship and class” as he puts it, that the students displayed throughout the season. “They went on working hard, not once getting conceited; they were the nicest group of football students you’d ever want to meet,” says the proud superintendent. He goes on to praise the student body and community for supporting them. “Our Springdale High School team attracted more fan support in the playoffs than any other team except one, even up to the Quad A Schools. We have remarkable community support.”

Along with the students and community, Dr Territo takes great pride in the teachers and administrative staff at Allegheny Valley. “Our teachers are committed, dedicated, and work with excellence.” As an effective litmus test of the quality of teachers and staff at Allegheny Valley the district conducts "exit interviews." Seniors at Springdale High School are interviewed to give feedback on how they perceive their educational experience. With beaming pride, Dr Territo explains, “Every single student said, ‘we like our school, and we like our teachers. We know they work hard to help us. I may have made some mistake, but there was always a teacher there to help.’” In addition, Dr. Territo commends the school board of directors for their role in making the district top notch.

With a broad educational background Dr Territo has a rich set of personal resources to bring to the district. He graduated from Edinboro and began teaching art in elementary and high schools in Pittsburgh. He then received his Masters at Duquesne University and worked as a guidance counselor at a vocational high school in Fox Chapel. Next he gained his doctorate degree in Curriculum and Program Development. With the expertise in the area of curriculum, Dr. Territo has been instrumental in forging ahead with many new program developments. In the elementary schools the district has implemented a full day kindergarten program and has adopted a new reading curriculum. At the high school level, the mathematics department has several innovative changes. All general math courses have been eliminated, and in the next couple of years every graduate will have completed Algebra I and II as well as Geometry as a minimum math requirement. Along with these curriculum improvements the district plans to make upgrades in technology and to enlarge their facilities.

When he's not at his post as superintendent, Dr. Territo enjoys spending time with his wife, who is also in the field of education. They have one son who works as a lobbyist for the automotive industry in Washington D.C. Dr. Territo also plays golf and likes rebuilding his antique sports car. Students love to see him driving around in his Mercedes Benz.

Describing what he enjoys the most about his job, Dr Territo gives a window into his values and life goals. He appreciates the variety, saying that each day he deals with ten to twenty different types of jobs ranging from budgets to facilities to personal student matters. But most of all he loves being able to make a difference. “I feel I have an opportunity to impact the community and individuals in the community in a very positive way.”

Watch the Interview.