Superintendent Search - Fort Plain Central School District

Lauren Crisman appointed Superintendent of Schools

May 5, 2022

The Fort Plain Central School District Board of Education, at their May 4, 2022, meeting, appointed Lauren Crisman to the position of Superintendent of Schools effective July 1, 2022, contingent upon successful contract negotiations.

Crisman, who has been the principal of the Harry Hoag Elementary School since 2016, will replace current Interim Superintendent Jeffery Ziegler.

“We cast a wide net during the search process to ensure we found the best fit possible for Fort Plain,” Board of Education President Mary Beth Hudyncia said. “The ideal candidate was already here in our district. As our elementary principal, Lauren Crisman has served the district and the community exceptionally well, and we look forward to her leadership as superintendent.”

“It is an honor to be offered the opportunity to serve as the superintendent of schools for Fort Plain Central School District. I have enjoyed being a part of so many Hilltopper traditions for the past six years while serving as the elementary principal, and I am deeply proud of our school community,” Crisman said.

“I look forward to working collaboratively with the board, faculty and staff, students and families to ensure that each student reaches their fullest potential. We will be a school district where success is experienced often and celebrated frequently. I thank everyone for the support that I’ve been given thus far and for letting me be a part of your children’s lives. I am excited to continue supporting the development of our district as we plan for the infinite possibilities of the future in education.”

Before coming to Fort Plain, Crisman served as the elementary principal and K-12 curriculum coordinator in the Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School for five years. Also at Cherry Valley-Springfield, Crisman worked as an English Language Arts coordinator, reading coach and elementary teacher. She also has teaching experience at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, Little Falls, and North Colonie. In addition to her duties as the Harry Hoag principal, Crisman has been serving as a student teacher supervisor at the State University of New York at Oneonta for the last three years.

Crisman has a bachelor’s in Elementary Education from SUNY Cortland and a master’s in Literacy from SUNY Albany. She also earned a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership from SUNY Cortland.

Superintendent Search Listening Session slated; position is posted for applications due by Feb. 21

Jan. 24, 2022

Fort Plain families and community members are invited to participate in a Community Listening Session on Wednesday, Feb. 2, to share feedback concerning the search for a new Superintendent of Schools.

Participants will be asked to provide input regarding the characteristics and attributes desired of the next superintendent and what opportunities and challenges they will face. The meeting will be held in a small-group format with sessions scheduled every 20 minutes beginning at 4 p.m. Advance registration is required. Call Becky Smith at 518-993-4000, ext. #1000 for more information and to sign up for a time slot.

The Fort Plain Board of Education is seeking a new district leader to replace Interim Superintendent of Schools Jeffery Ziegler.

The position is now posted on several education job boards with professional organizations including the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS), the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS), the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) and OLAS, the On-line Application System for Educators. The posting can also be found at: http://www.hfmboces.org/FortPlainSearch.

The application deadline is Feb. 21. The Board of Education’s goal is to have the next superintendent in place by July 2022.

Superintendent search launched

[updated Jan. 20, 2022]

The Fort Plain Central School District Board of Education has officially launched the search for a new superintendent of schools.

HFM BOCES District Superintendent Dr. David Ziskin is working with the Fort Plain Board of Education as a consultant during the search process. As part of their statutory duties, BOCES district superintendents may be asked by component school boards to act as consultants during superintendent searches. Dr. Ziskin will work with the board to create recruitment material and assist with the development of selection criteria and a process for interviews.

The deadline to apply for the position is Feb. 21, 2022. The Board of Education’s goal is to have the next superintendent in place by July 2022.

The Fort Plain Board of Education is seeking a new district leader to replace Interim Superintendent of Schools Jeffery Ziegler.

Community survey launched for Fort Plain superintendent search

[updated Jan. 14, 2022]

The Fort Plain Central School District Board of Education is seeking public input through an online survey to help inform the upcoming search for a new superintendent of schools.

The brief, anonymous survey seeks feedback regarding the characteristics and personal attributes desired of the next superintendent and what opportunities and challenges they will face. The survey was open until Jan. 12 and was accessible via a link previously posted on this webpage and shared via ParentSquare.

Thank you to all who took the time to complete the survey. Stakeholder focus groups are also being tapped for their input.

The Fort Plain Board of Education has selected HFM BOCES District Superintendent Dr. David Ziskin to serve as a consultant during the search process.

As part of their statutory duties, BOCES district superintendents may be asked by component school boards to act as consultants during superintendent searches. Dr. Ziskin will work with the board to create recruitment material, assist with the development of selection criteria and a process for interviews. He will serve as the search consultant at no charge.

Following the community survey, BOCES will begin advertising the position in in mid-January with interviews expected to begin in March. The Board of Education’s goal is to have the next superintendent start work by the start of the 2022-23 school year.

The Fort Plain Board of Education is seeking a new district leader to replace Interim Superintendent Jeffery Ziegler.

Oct. 25, 2021 Message from Board of Education President Mary Beth Hudyncia

Dear Community:

The Fort Plain Central School District will launch its search for a new and highly qualified superintendent to guide our students and staff into the future. To begin this process, the Fort Plain Board of Education has tapped into the resources and expertise of HFM BOCES District Superintendent Dr. David Ziskin. HFM BOCES provides superintendent recruitment services to all of its component districts.

The district will work with HFM BOCES to develop and distribute a job vacancy announcement and application in its national search for the best and most suitable superintendent candidates. The district will also work with HFM BOCES to create a recruitment brochure that highlights the many positive attributes of our district, including its rich history and exceptional opportunities for students.

Overall, we expect this search to take approximately six months, with the goal of conducting final interviews in April and having the new candidate begin his/her post on or about July 1.

The BOE feels that it is critical to obtain community input about the desired characteristics of the next superintendent as well as the challenges and opportunities that they will encounter. We are committed to seeking input from all stakeholder groups as we move forward with the search as we value the importance of community involvement to influence the kind of leader we look for as we approach the interview process and the ultimate selection of a new superintendent.

In the coming months, we will be dedicating this webpage to the superintendent search process. We will be including a timeline, process for community/stakeholder involvement, and selection process.

Thank you for your time, input and support as we embark on this important task.

Sincerely,
Mary Beth Hudyncia
President, Fort Plain Board of Education