Respect for the Three ‘R’s

One page at a time, with local author Beth Anderson

BETHLEHEM — When Beth Anderson, an author and former English teacher at Bethlehem Central High School, began researching the history of the Bethlehem Central School District, she had no idea it would take seven years to complete.

Her book, “Evolution to Excellence: The First Fifty Years of the Bethlehem Central School District,” has now been published, marking the culmination of a meticulous process of organizing, interviewing, and researching.

“I’m thrilled that it’s done, but I definitely had that period of letdown afterward where I had to think, ‘It’s over, it’s finished,’” she said. “But I’ve received so much favorable feedback that it just makes me very happy that people are enjoying it and that it’s meaningful to them.”

Anderson’s motivation stemmed from a deep connection to the community and a desire to preserve its history. Her passion for filling in the gaps of the district’s story kept her going through the lengthy research process.

The book covers significant milestones in the district’s history, from its early days without a formal high school to the development of its comprehensive education programs. Anderson sheds light on the challenges and triumphs that have shaped the district over the past fifty years.

Since its release, “Evolution to Excellence” has sparked conversations among long-time residents and newer members of the community alike. Some schools in the district have even considered incorporating it into their curriculum as a resource for local history.

“It’s my give-back, my pay-it-forward, only it’s backward because it’s the past!” she laughed. “But it was one way that I could give something back to a school district that certainly did a lot for me as an individual.”

Her journey began while researching an article for a Bethlehem Historical Association newsletter. Anderson admitted that she doesn’t like “missing blanks or loose ends,” which she encountered while researching a local resident whose house was used as an experimental high school while he was abroad during World War I. The school was temporary, created by the legislature, with funding withdrawn after only a year.

“I’d never heard that before! I thought, ‘Why was it an experimental high school, and why wasn’t there a high school out here?’” she said. “To find out that there wasn’t an existing high school program was mind-boggling to me.”

Her research took her down a path that continued to intrigue her, even if writing a book about the subject initially seemed improbable. Delving into the past provided her with a greater understanding of the comprehensive education program of the common school system during that era and why students only went through the sixth or eighth grade.

From there, the writing began to fit together like puzzle pieces of the past. “I mainly wrote it to fill in some blanks in our history, but the fact that people can read it, enjoy it, and learn something also makes me very happy,” Anderson said. “I like to make people happy and be a vehicle to enable that. The fact that people are enjoying the book makes me very satisfied.”

Difficult choices had to be made during the writing process: how much to include about every club and program, whether to name the interviewees, and how much could fit into each chapter. Feedback and staying connected with her audience kept her grounded throughout. She informed people she was writing a book and provided updates on social media to stay committed to the project.

Now, the feedback extends beyond just her research. It reflects the culmination of her years of work. “I’ve had a lot of feedback and comments on social media that people have enjoyed reading it and learned things they maybe never knew, even though they’ve lived in town most of their lives,” she said.

During the writing process, while many people shared happy memories with her, just as many came forward with their troubling experiences in the school district. Anderson entered the project fully aware of both sides of the history, including the deeply negative experiences of some of the first Black students in the district.

“I got some very forthcoming responses,” Anderson said. “It was a real visceral response inside me that things had gone so badly for them as a result of school situations. I felt horrible that something as important as going to school left them with such a negative feeling.”

“I was very proud to write this story,” she continued. “It’s a great story; it’s not a perfect story. There’s, for lack of a better word, ugliness in it. As a retired educator, I’m very much aware that school was not a positive experience for many students. I find that quite heartbreaking, honestly.”

After seven years of grappling with the history of the region, Anderson feels the experience has deepened her understanding of the modern-day district and its story. “It gave me a more profound respect for those educators who laid this foundation for the school’s future,” she said.

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