School Board to Appoint Dr. Andrew Patrick to be the Next Superintendent of the Scarsdale Schools
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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(This letter was sent by the Board of Education to the Scarsdale Community on February 9, 2023)
Dear Scarsdale Community,
The Scarsdale Board of Education is thrilled to announce that it has unanimously identified Dr. Andrew Patrick to be the next Superintendent of Scarsdale Schools. The Board plans to formally appoint Dr. Patrick at its next meeting on February 13th.
“Dr. Patrick exemplifies all of the qualities identified by our community in the Leadership Profile report. Dr. Patrick leads with empathy and integrity, uses a student-centered approach to creative problem solving, and is open to reflection and learning. We are confident that Dr. Patrick’s leadership will create an inclusive environment for our students, faculty and staff, and community. After an extensive and thorough search process, Dr. Patrick inspires the full confidence of the Board and we enthusiastically welcome him into his role as the Superintendent of Scarsdale schools,” said Ms. Amber Yusuf, Board President.
Dr. Patrick, is, of course, well known to the Scarsdale community as the Interim Superintendent of Schools since May 2022. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Patrick had served as the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Leadership Development for Scarsdale Schools since 2016. Dr. Patrick has been a leader in public education as a teacher and district leader since 1998. Before coming to Scarsdale, Dr. Patrick served as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in Bedford, New York for eight years. Prior to his district-level leadership position, Dr. Patrick taught earth science, biology, and A.P. environmental science and served as Science Department Coordinator.
Dr. Patrick holds degrees from the University of Rochester (B.S., Biology-Geology), the University of South Carolina (M.S., Geology), Bank Street College of Education (M.Ed., Educational Leadership), and Manhattanville College (Ed.D., Educational Leadership). Dr. Patrick has published works as both a geologist and as an educational leader. Teaching and professional development are focal aspects of his practice as he provides extensive professional development, both within and outside the District. Dr. Patrick has taught graduate level courses at Bank Street College since 2018.
Hiring a new superintendent is one of the most important responsibilities of a Board of Education and we have been committed to conducting an inclusive, thoughtful, and comprehensive process to find the next Superintendent of Schools for Scarsdale. More than 65 potential candidates were considered from a diverse pool in a nationwide search. The Board conducted multiple rounds of interviews with a very strong group of sitting superintendents from excellent school districts with established records of success.
We are grateful for the widespread engagement of our community, students, parents, faculty, and staff members that helped guide the Board in this extensive process, whether through participation in focus groups, community forums, interviews, and/or the online survey. The Board would also like to extend our thanks to Ms. Deborah Raizes and Dr. Susan Guiney at Hazard Young Attea Associates (HYA) for their many hours of hard work, extensive recruitment, and professional expertise.
For a comprehensive timeline and catalog of all actions, communications, documents, and videos available with regard to this search, please visit the Superintendent Search Page.
In anticipation of his appointment, Dr. Patrick shared, “I extend my deepest gratitude to the Board of Education for putting their trust in me to lead this extraordinary school community. It is truly a privilege and a professional dream come true. To my mind, what makes leading this District so special is the combination of an exceptionally engaged student body and an extraordinary faculty and staff situated in a community deeply committed to ensuring a world-class education for its youth. The collective contribution of goodwill, energy, innovation, and resources cultivates an environment of possibility in our schools. I have been energized by our work over the past nine months, and am excited for the future we will create together.”
The Board is very excited to unanimously congratulate Dr. Patrick on his new role as Superintendent of Schools and looks forward to continuing Scarsdale’s strong tradition of excellence and innovation under his stewardship.
Sincerely,
The Board of Education
Board Announces Selection of a Final Candidate for Superintendent of the Scarsdale Schools
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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(This letter was submitted by the Scarsdale Board of Education)
Dear Scarsdale Community,
The Board hopes that you are having a good start to the second half of the school year.
We are very excited to share that the interview phase of the Superintendent search process has been completed and that the Board has unanimously selected a final candidate. The Board has conducted its candidate due diligence, including a background check and speaking with references. Discussions regarding contract negotiations are finalized. A selected group of stakeholders is expected to meet with the final candidate next week as one of the final steps of this process. The stakeholder group will include two community and two faculty representatives.
Hiring a new superintendent is one of the most important responsibilities of a Board of Education and we have been committed to conducting an inclusive, thoughtful and comprehensive process to find the next Superintendent of Schools for Scarsdale. More than 65 potential candidates were considered from a diverse pool in a nationwide search. The Board conducted multiple rounds of interviews with a very strong group of sitting superintendents from excellent school districts with established records of success. We are grateful for the widespread engagement of our faculty, staff and community members that helped guide the Board in this process.
For a comprehensive timeline and catalog of all actions, communications, documents and videos available with regard to this search, please visit the Superintendent Search Page.
The Board eagerly looks forward to announcing an exceptional Superintendent to lead the Scarsdale Schools in continuing our tradition of the highest quality education. This announcement will come both in a press release and an email sent to the community, faculty and staff.
Sincerely,
The Board of Education
CNC Selects Slate for Mayor and Village Trustees
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Justin ArestThe Citizens Nominating Committee has selected the Scarsdale Citizens’ Non-Partisan Party slate for Mayor, Village Trustees and Village Justice.
For Mayor, Justin Arest, who served two terms as Village Trustee, has been nominated to lead the Village. He is an attorney with keen financial acumen and was instrumental in steering the Village through the financial crisis during the COVID pandemic.
Nominees for trustee, Sameer Ahuja and Karen Brew are currently serving their first two year terms and have been active and engaged board members. Notably Brew guided the Village through their decision making on changes to the laws regarding the sale of cannabis, and Ahuja has championed technological innovations. They are both nominated to serve their second term.
Sameer Ahuja: Photo by Andi Schreiber
Newcomer Dara Gruenberg holds many leadership roles in the Village and is now President of the Friends of the Scarsdale Library and co-chaired the library’s capital campaign that raised the funds to build the new library. She is Chair of the Scarsdale Village Advisory Council on Communications and received the SFCS Rising Star Award in 2018.
Cynthia Dunne, a former Assistant in the U.S. Attorney’s office is currently serving as Village Justice.
Here is the slate:
Justin Arest of 2 Lakin Road, a Village Resident for 10 years, Mayor
Sameer Ahuja of 30 Secor Road, a Village Resident for 22 years, Trustee
Karen BrewKaren Brew of 29 Ferncliff Road, a Village Resident for 18 years, Trustee
Dara Gruenberg of 24 Hampton Road, a Village Resident for 11 years, Trustee
Cynthia Dunne of 14 Edgewood Rd, a Village Resident for over 15 years, Village Justice
The General Village Election will take place Tuesday, March 21, 2023. The election will be held at the Scarsdale Public Library, 54 Olmsted Road in the Scott Room. Voting hours will be from 6:00 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Omer Wiczyk served as Chair and Janet Han served as Vice Chair of the CNC. In addition to the candidates for Village office, the CNC selected Jared Stern as Chair and Mary Pat Jones as Vice Chair for next year’s CNC. The CNC also elected Heath Sroka to serve as Vice Chair of the Procedure Committee.
Dara Gruenberg: Photo credit -Andi Schreiber
“Starting in late November 2022, the CNC searched for potential candidates and then conducted extensive diligence. While deliberations and reference conversations are not shared publicly, the CNC considered and carefully researched the background, experience, and qualifications of each trustee candidate and engaged in significant deliberation,” said Omer Wiczyk, Chair of the CNC. “We thank the CNC Members for their hard work and diligence in selecting this strong slate of candidates,” he continued.
Introducing the Candidates for Mayor and Village Trustee
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Last week the Citizens Nominating Committee announced their slate of candidates for the Scarsdale Citizens Non-Partisan Party, for election on Tuesday March 21 from 6 am to 9 pm at Scarsdale Public Library.
On the ballot are former two-term trustee Justin Arest, who is running for Mayor, Karen Brew and Sameer Ahuja who are running for second two-year terms as Village Trustee and Dara Gruenberg who is running for her first term as Village Trustee. Cynthia Dunne is running for Village Justice.
Below are the biographies of the candidates for Mayor and Village Trustee.
Justin Arest has lived in Scarsdale for 10 years. He has served two terms as a Village Trustee from 2018-2022. While on the Village Board, he held leadership positions in various areas including chairing the Personnel and Finance Committees. Justin was Deputy Mayor from 2020-2022 under both Mayors Samwick and Veron. He was actively involved in the searches for important hires including the Assessor, Treasurer, Attorney and Village Manager. Justin worked closely with Village Staff and key stakeholders to improve the Village’s budgeting process to make it more effective and the information more easily available for the public. During the pandemic, Justin, alongside the Mayor, trustees, and Village Staff ensured that our government had the ability to support the continuity of essential services. As the chair of the Village Center Task Force, he collaborated with staff and the Scarsdale Business Alliance to find ways for residents and other visitors to safely shop and eat in Scarsdale, also providing needed revenues for our local merchants. Professionally, Justin is an attorney and has spent the past fifteen years investing in and managing commercial real estate mostly in the NY area. Justin graduated from NYU Stern with a B.S. in Finance and International Business and earned his J.D. from GW Law School. Justin resides in Heathcote with his wife, Allison, and children, Madeline and Julian.
Sameer Ahuja has been a resident of Scarsdale for a combined 22 years dating back to 1985 when his family immigrated to the U.S. He has served as a Trustee of the Village of Scarsdale since April 2021 focused on technology, economic development, and DE&I. Sameer has also been actively involved in the school community, serving as a youth softball and basketball coach for Heathcote girls for several years. Sameer leads New York-based GameChanger Media Inc., a 150-person sports technology company whose mission is to elevate the next generation through sports. GameChanger unites thousands of communities in all 50 states. He is a long-time entrepreneur with nearly 20 years of experience as a Founder, CEO or COO of high-growth technology businesses in four different industries - location-based entertainment, fintech, investment management, and sportstech. Sameer also writes a blog, Complexity Everywhere, about unexpected events in markets, politics, and society. He also serves as an Advisor to Women in Sports Tech. Sameer graduated from Scarsdale High School, has a B.A. in Economics from Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He resides in Heathcote with his wife Sima and two daughters, Anya and Ella.
Karen Brew has lived in Scarsdale for 18 years. She is completing her first term as Scarsdale Village Trustee. Prior to her work as Trustee, Karen served on the board of the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale and on the Executive Committee of the Scarsdale High School Scholarship Fund for College. Karen also was a member of the School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) and the SBNC Administrative and Joint Committees. Karen was involved for many years with Scarsdale’s schools, serving as the Edgewood PTA President, Treasurer, on various Edgewood, Scarsdale Middle and Scarsdale High School PTA committees; as well as serving on the Executive Committee of the Parent Teacher Council (PTC). She also served on the Scarsdale Bowl Committee. Karen most recently worked part-time for nine years as an Executive Recruiter with Koren Rogers Executive Search. Before that she had various leadership roles in marketing management, strategy and consulting in the consumer goods and financial services industries. Karen earned a B.A. cum laude from Cornell University and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Karen resides in Edgewood with her husband (Richard) Damian. They have two grown daughters, Emily and Madeline, who graduated from Scarsdale Schools.
Dara Gruenberg has lived in Scarsdale for the last 11 years. She is the President of the Friends of the Scarsdale Library and was Co-Chair of the Library’s Capital Campaign. She is the Chair of Scarsdale Village’s Advisory Council on Communications and a member of the Village Board of Ethics. Dara is also a Vice Chair of the Foundation Board at White Plains Hospital, a Vice President at Westchester Reform Temple, and a board member of Feeding Westchester. In recent years, Dara served as a board member of the Scarsdale Forum and the League of Women Voters Scarsdale, and she was a member of the Scarsdale Bowl Committee. Dara also served on the Citizens Nominating Committee and was the co-chair of the Scarsdale Citizens Non-Partisan Party Campaign. In 2018, Dara received the Scarsdale Family Counseling Rising Star Award for her leadership within the community and volunteerism. In 2021, New York State Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins selected Dara as one of her three Women's History Month honorees in recognition of her Covid relief efforts. Prior to moving to Scarsdale, Dara was a teacher and school administrator at an independent school in Manhattan. Dara has a B.A. cum laude in Classics from Barnard College, Columbia University and a Master of Education in School Administration from Bank Street College of Education. Dara resides in Fox Meadow with her husband, Jon, and their two children Cornelia and Jake.
SVAC Crew Assists in Buffalo Snow Emergency
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An ambulance crew from Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps travelled to Buffalo on Tuesday December 27, 2022 to assist with the snowstorm emergency at the request of Erie County EMS officials. The ambulance and two paramedics, Caitlyn Kockler and Kyle Shryock, answered a backlog of 911 calls that received no response during the storm. People were stuck inside their homes as it was too dangerous to drive. Road conditions made it unsafe for ambulances to answer their cries for help. The team worked 12 hours shifts, answering about one call per hour.
Below are photos of what they found on the snowy streets of Buffalo.
