Statement of the Catskill Board of Education Delivered by Mike Dedrick, Newly Elected President, Board of Education
Good evening, members of our school community.
On behalf of the Board of Education, I want to take a few minutes to be transparent with you about the process that led us to tonight’s appointment of our new Superintendent, and to explain how and why the Board arrived at this decision.
As many of you know, earlier this year the Board engaged a professional search consultant to conduct a search for a superintendent to lead our district. That process was thorough and deliberate. The consultant identified a highly qualified candidate, the Board extended an offer, and that candidate accepted. We were prepared to move forward. Unfortunately, that candidate subsequently withdrew his acceptance, leaving the district without a superintendent-designate.
Rather than abandon the process, the search consultant, with the full knowledge and consent of the Board, extended an offer to a second candidate who had emerged from the search. That candidate also accepted — and, regrettably, also withdrew his acceptance shortly thereafter.
We want to be candid with you: this was a frustrating and difficult situation. Two candidates, two acceptances, two withdrawals. Our students, staff, and community deserve stable and committed leadership, and we took seriously the responsibility of getting this right.
Following those disappointments, the Board met with our search consultant and with legal counsel to carefully consider our path forward. In the course of those conversations, it became clear to the Board that we had an exceptional candidate much closer to home — someone who knows this district, is respected by staff and families alike, and who has already demonstrated a deep commitment to our students and community.
That person is Junait Shah, who has served as President of this Board of Education. We know Junait well. He holds the required credentials and certification, has a strong educational background, and is widely regarded as a leader of integrity and vision within our school community.
After careful deliberation, the Board reached a unanimous decision to ask Junait to serve as our next Superintendent. He agreed. To be eligible to be considered, he resigned his board position. The Board interviewed him as it did all the other candidates. The Board negotiated a contract, and tonight we are prepared to make that appointment official.
We recognize that this process did not unfold the way any of us anticipated. But we are confident that what began as a setback has led us to exactly the right leader for the District at this moment in time. We believe the community will come to share that confidence.
We are grateful for your patience, and we welcome your continued engagement as we move forward together.
Thank you.