Alum, SUNY Oneonta
grad take CCS jobs

By GREG KLEIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

Cooperstown Central School has new leadership in its middle/high school again.

The school’s Board of Education has made two hires in the past month, picking Karl O’Leary as the new
principal and Shirley Tyler as the new coordinator of athletics and extra-curricular activities.

O’Leary started his career as an English teacher and served as principal of Moravia Central School for two years and most recently as assistant high school principal at Middle Country Central School on Long Island. He graduated from SUNY Oneonta in 2002 and then got advanced degrees from SUNY Cortland and University of New England.

O’Leary said he knew during his earlier time in Otsego County that he could settle down here.
“I did my student teaching at Cherry Valley-Springfield,” he said. “I always loved Cooperstown when I was here. I loved biking around Otsego County.”

O’Leary replaces Ann Meccarello, who left mid-year in 2020-21 for a superintendent position and interim principal Teresa Gorman. He said he echoes new superintendent Sarah Spross — who took over at CCS in March — when she said the goal is to bring long-term stability to the district.

O’Leary will get help in that goal from a local who has served Cooperstown in many different roles.
Tyler is a 2004 CCS graduate, who did a Rotary year in Brazil and graduated from SUNY Cortland in 2009. She worked in public relations with the Cooperstown Hawkeyes, in education at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and most recently as the coordinator of special events at The Clark Sports Center.

Tyler said she is thrilled to return to her roots at CCS. “I knew I wanted to get back to working with children,” she said.

O’Leary said the school will be hiring an assistant principal soon