Bly’s Energy and Enthusiasm is Hard to Top
After more than 25 years in the district, Mary Bly is a fixture in Huntington. While she’s obviously settled in here, she never sits still for very long. Not when there’s so much work to do and so many students and teachers she wants to help.
Mrs. Bly holds a BA degree in psychology from SUNY College at Oswego and a Master’s in special education from C.W. Post College. Prior to coming to Huntington in 1984, she taught special education in the Patchogue-Medford district for three years.
“My family figured prominently in why I went into teaching and special education specifically,” Mrs. Bly said. “My younger brother, by six years, had learning disabilities. This was long before the special education law PL 94-142, and the only educational option for first grade was to live away at a special education school during the week and return home on weekends. This was traumatic for a six-year old and it was difficult for the rest of the family. My parents removed him at the end of first grade and he attended a local public school from then on, but with very little support until high school.”
Since arriving in Huntington, Mrs. Bly has taught at J. Taylor Finley Junior High School and Jefferson, Southdown and Woodhull schools. Her assignments have included self-contained, resource, inclusion and, most recently, corrective reading classes. She’s also the district’s early reading intervention coach and trainer, collaborating closely with colleagues in many buildings.
“My mother was involved in the Association for Children with Learning Disabilities (ACLD), an early group devoted to advocating for children with special needs,” Mrs. Bly said. “The impetus to obtain a degree in special education came, I believe, from watching my brother struggle so throughout his schooling and seeing my parents’ frustration at not being able to access the services my brother needed.”
Always thirsty for professional improvement, Mrs. Bly has completed 60 post-graduate credits. She holds permanent state certification as a special education (K-12) and general education (N-6) teacher. The veteran is known as a compassionate, affable and just plain nice person. Her knowledge of teaching and learning is legendary.
“I can only hope that I have been successful with some students over the years,” said Mrs. Bly modestly. “First, I love kids, and I love being a part of the experience when a child ‘gets it.’ To be able to give children the skills they need to understand the world around them, and skills they need to effectively relate to that world, has been an extremely enriching experience for me, and a way I can give back to my community. Second, I love a challenge. I’ve taken the opportunity to seek out alternative methods and materials for instruction and behavior management, based on the particular needs of my students.”
In addition to her work in Huntington, Mrs. Bly has been an education consultant for Western Suffolk BOCES, writing instructional guides for sixth grade math and social studies. She’s also been a teacher mentor through the Manhasset Teacher Center, advising teachers from across Long Island about the process of National Board certification and accreditation as an exceptional needs specialist.
The skilled teacher’s work in Huntington is never really complete. “The very severe reading disability of several students led me to pilot corrective reading and that experience eventually led to me training teachers and teaching assistants to deliver corrective reading, Horizons and ERI (early reading intervention) and coaching staff who are using these programs in our district,” Mrs. Bly said.
With a list of professional achievements that runs many pages, Mrs. Bly has the energy and enthusiasm of a first year teacher. One gets the impression she has much more to accomplish before calling it a career. “I firmly believe that all children can learn given the appropriate instruction in a supportive environment,” Mrs. Bly said.
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