Dr. George E. Cooke

Dr. George E. Cooke, Superintendent of Plum Borough School District, headed to college with a law career in mind and after his 1971 Bloomsburg University graduation, he began his journey for a law degree at the University of Baltimore. Working to keep food on the table, as he describes it, he took a position teaching history to eighth graders. What happened next led him to changing career goals.

It was this first teaching position where Dr. Cooke saw students struggling with reading. Deeply affecting him, he made a decision to take more educational courses, leading him to the University of Scranton where he graduated with a Masters of Science in Reading and certification as a reading specialist. Returning to teaching, this time in social studies, he now believed the answer was to become an educational administrator and enrolled in Pennsylvania State University at State College. Graduating in 1978 with a Doctorate in Education Administration, he began his educational career in Erie County as a Director of Special Projects.

Although Dr. Cooke was born and raised in Long Island, New York, his higher education in Pennsylvania has led him to being a permanent Pennsylvanian. He and his family love western Pennsylvania and it wasn't too long before he accepted an elementary principal position with the Indiana Area School District. After two and a half years he was promoted to Assistant Superintendent, a position he held for 11 years. He then accepted a Superintendent position with Fleetwood Area School District in eastern Pennsylvania. His family, though, missed western Pennsylvania and when the Plum Borough School District Superintendent's position opened, he applied and was the successful candidate, seven and a half years ago.

Today Dr. Cooke leads a vibrant and growing school district. With 4,387 students, 531 staff members, and a $38,000,000 annual budget, he is fulfilling that passion to see each student's potential developed to the fullest. Part of his educational philosophy of "less is more," is not to get caught up in too many different things and try to do too much, but to do better with very sound pedagogy (training and instruction), commitment to technology, and provision of contemporary and visionary perspective to students.

Dr. Cooke hit the street running when he started his superintendence position at Plum. Together with three other area school districts he founded the Boyce Middle College High School, an innovative educational program that permits highly creative students to attend high school at Boyce Community College of Allegheny Campus. While continuing their high school education these students gain up to 15 college credits by graduation, permitting them to complete only one more year at the Boyce campus for an Associates Degree or have one semester credit at other participating higher education schools. This is the only such program in Pennsylvania.

Plum Borough School District ranks well among Pennsylvania school districts. An average 90% of graduating students go on to secondary education and rank above average in PSSA and SAT scores. Budget wise, the district ranks in the low end of spending with high academic results.

Visit Plum Borough School District's web site at: www.pbsd.k12.pa.us