Ron Abate, Post Fairfield
By Ron Abate (left Fairfield 1995, School Psychologist, Computer Specialist )
I retired from Fairfield Schools at the age of 62. This was not the terminus of my career as I sought
new endeavors. My interest in computers led me to develop my own business, Galaxy Computer Services. Initially, I sold and installed computers. When profit margins on hardware sales went below 10%, I elected to shift my energies to computer applications training.
I free-lanced at various business schools and at the corporate level. This proved to be a more rewarding pursuit. I provided training at Morse School of Business, Branford Hall, and other locations. My last position was at Briarwood College where I was adjunct
professor teaching computer applications software.
While teaching, I developed two software programs: Teacher Evaluation Survey and Briarwood Grade Book. The first allowed instructor evaluations by students to be completed
on computers making the process more efficient. The second was a program that allowed instructors to track attendance and student progress. This program had the unique feature of continuously calculating student averages during the semester. It also allowed
for weighting of various student measures of performance. Another accomplishment was the method I used to test my students: They had to solve problems and save their results on a computer; paper and pencil tests were never used.
I fully retired from
my second career at the age of 72. However, computers will always remain a part of my life as I strive to keep up with the rapid progress of technology. I am in the process of writing my perceptions on the social and economic impact technology will have on
our society. You are invited to view my website at http://www.rlabate.blogspot.com/. Some of the information at this site is autobiographical; it is updated continuously. For recreation, I travel to places known for their natural beauty (Alaska, Canada, Hawaii,
and Caribbean). I spend my Winters at various locations in Florida.