SUPERINTENDENT

The South Orangetown CSD, a high-performing public school district that serves the residents of Blauvelt, Grandview-on-Hudson, Orangeburg, Palisades, Piermont, Sparkill, and Tappan, NY, is seeking a Superintendent of Schools upon the retirement of its Superintendent, Dr. Robert Pritchard. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2023. Located in Rockland County, the district is proximal to the business, cultural, and recreational opportunities offered in New York City. 

The district’s mission is to elevate, engage, and inspire through personalized and exceptional experiences that ensure all students achieve to their fullest potential. The district operates four schools with a combined enrollment of approximately 3,000 students and is committed to utilizing and distributing resources and programming that promote fairness to ensure a learning environment with equity, access, and opportunities for all. District students are motivated and high performing,  staff is dedicated to providing students with the highest quality education, the community is engaged, and the Board of Education supports the mission and vision of the district.

The Board of Education is seeking a leader who can build upon the district’s many accomplishments and take it to its next level of excellence. The district’s work is centered on their values of challenging students, fostering an inclusive school community, and providing a safe and nurturing environment that prepares every student for future success.

For more information, please visit https://www.socsd.org/

Among the many hallmarks of the South Orangetown Central School District recently cited by staff and residents are:

·      Community pride and spirit is strong and interconnected

·      A highly rated and highly performing school district with a wide variety of academics and extracurricular activities

·      Engaged and involved teachers, staff, parents, and families

·      Friendly, nice learning and workplace environment - stable staff

·      Investment in infrastructure and building capital project and bond

·      Students are polite, respectful, service-oriented

Some of the major leadership challenges for the new superintendent, also cited by staff and residents, are:

·      Implementation of an approved $50 million capital project with budget concerns due to material costs escalation

·      Curriculum and instruction polarization (e.g.: DEI perspectives)

·      Balancing board dynamics, enhancing board governance, managing BOE meetings

·      Post pandemic recovery and adjustments

·      Uniting the community during times of increasing political divisiveness in an increasingly diverse community

Following significant staff and community engagement, the South Orangetown Board of Education has approved the following specifications for its search for a new Superintendent:

The successful candidate will be:

• An instructional leader with substantive and meaningful teaching, building, and district-level experience in a high expectations district who is excited to lead SOCSD into the next decade

• A strategic, systems-oriented, and fiscally responsible problem solver with demonstrated and notable experience engaging a school-community to achieve the district’s vision and mission

• A proactive communicator who enjoys and welcomes listening to and engaging with multiple and diverse stakeholder groups and transparently shares information with clarity and consistency, using a wide variety of outlets

• A confident and diplomatic leader with the wisdom and courage to productively resolve challenges and achieve unity through a collaborative approach to school governance

• An approachable, calm, and caring educational mentor committed to elevating and inspiring all members of a dynamic district to a higher level of personal, professional, and community accountability and achievement

Applications must be submitted online at www.leadschools.us by February 5, 2023 (click on “current vacancies”).   In addition to completing the basic application, candidates are asked to upload a cover letter describing how they meet the above criteria, together with their current resume.  All applications will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, LLC,

Dr. Kenneth Mitchell (kenneth.mitchell@mville.edu)

Dr. Charles Fowler (schoolleadershipllc@gmail.com)

Susan Elion Wollin (susan.elion.wollin@gmail.com)