Meet Dr. Freya Mercer, who joined Catskill Central School District as our new assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction this September. Dr. Mercer is an accomplished educator with 20 years of experience teaching and leading in public school systems both small and large, where she has developed a strong record of improving outcomes for students at all levels.
“My philosophy as an educator is to ensure all students have opportunities to grow and reach their potential, whatever their potential is,” Dr. Mercer said. “Here in Catskill, the students and staff have been so friendly and kind. Looking at the District as a whole, everything about it has tremendous potential to provide even more opportunities and experiences for our students so that they are ready for what comes after high school.”
She comes to Catskill from the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District, where she was the middle school principal from 2021-24 and the high school principal from 2018-2021. Before that, she was the K-12 director of humanities integration at Saratoga Springs City School District and earlier in her career she taught English language arts at Central Square Middle School.
Dr. Mercer holds a doctorate in education leadership from Sage Graduate School, a master’s degree in adolescent English education from SUNY Cortland, and a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Wells College. She is certified in NYS as a school building leader and school district leader, and as an English language arts teacher.
At home, she and her spouse are parents to three daughters – one 14-year-old and a pair of 10-year-old twins. Their family also includes four cats and a dog, all rescue animals. She enjoys reading, knitting, singing in a community choir, and exploring parks, festivals, and other attractions with her family. She also volunteers with the Girl Scouts and serves on the Board of Directors for the Girls Scouts of Northeastern New York.
The Board of Education appointed Dr. Mercer to replace Dr. Brett Miller, who left the position in July to become Catskill Central School District’s assistant superintendent for business, replacing retiring business administrator Lisa Jilek. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Mercer to Catskill!