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The New Paltz Central College District’s Board of Schooling this week introduced the hiring of Stephen Gratto as its subsequent superintendent. Gratto, lately in his 7th 12 months because the superintendent of the Schroon Lake Central College District, formally begins his activity in New Paltz on January 1, 2023 with a three-and-a-half 12 months contract and an annual beginning wage of $207,000.
Gratto was once in short offered all over a gathering of the NPCSD College Board hung on Wednesday, October 19.
“I’m in reality excited to be right here,” Gratto mentioned. “I’ve researched your district relatively so much and I’m very inspired with the entire issues which can be happening. I’m in reality excited to be at a district with such a lot motion, such a lot neighborhood give a boost to.”
Gratto will exchange Intervening time Superintendent Bernard Josefsberg, who returned to New Paltz for his 2d brief stint in July of this 12 months to assist stay the district shifting ahead whilst the four-month seek for an enduring administrator was once undertaken. Josefsberg served as intervening time superintendent in New Paltz for more or less six months between the departure of former Superintendent Maria Rice in December 2019 and the coming of former Superintendent Angela Urbina-Medina in the summertime of 2020. Urbina-Medina was once employed on a four-year contract that paid her $197,000 consistent with 12 months, and formally began her activity on July 1, 2020. She left precisely two years later.
An educator with just about 30 years of enjoy, Gratto earned a Grasp of Arts in Instructing level, a Certificates of Complex Learn about in Administrative and Supervisory Carrier, and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the State College of New York at Plattsburgh, and a Bachelor of Science in Electric Engineering from Clarkson College.
As a Fulbright Student, Gratto frolicked as an alternate instructor in Uppingham, England, the place he was once uncovered to a type of social-emotional wellness for college kids that has since develop into a very powerful in operating with youngsters all over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gratto holds everlasting certifications as a faculty district chief, faculty management manager and faculty development chief; and an enduring New York State educating certification usually science, physics and arithmetic, all in grades 7-12.
Schroon Lake, more or less 165 miles due north of New Paltz, is a small district of fewer than 300 scholars. Previous to taking up his position of superintendent in 2015, Gratto was once main of Northeastern Clinton Central Prime College for 8 years, taught physics and science within the Peru Central College District and Mascoma Regional Prime College, the latter in Enfield, New Hampshire.
Previous to operating in training, Gratto was once {an electrical} engineer designing built-in circuit chips for Global Trade Device Corp. (IBM) in Burlington, Vermont for 6 years, a task he mentioned he left as a result of he sought after as a way to paintings immediately with other people, in particular younger other people.
“I felt I used to be extra of a other people individual’and sought after to peer quick positive aspects from my efforts and felt I might get higher pride from operating with youngsters. This grew to become out to be true,” Gratto mentioned in an NPCSD press free up this week. “IBM was once nice preparation for educating, however I’m a lot happier as an educator, and each and every step I’ve taken has been an overly sure one. I’ve been very lucky to paintings at some remarkable colleges, and I sit up for the use of my wisdom and stories to serve the scholars, school and team of workers of New Paltz Central College District.”
Gratto brings to New Paltz a powerful trust locally of faculty districts, partially fostered whilst serving as an alternative bus motive force in Schroon Lake all over the COVID-19 pandemic.
The married father of 3 sons, Gratto is an avid hiker, camper, canoeist, bike owner, basketball participant and trainer, and enjoys studying and the theater. He’s additionally been a qualified juggler, unicyclist, rope-walker and comedy performer since a tender age and incessantly plays together with his sons.
Gratto emerged because the district’s new superintendent following an exhaustive seek urged by means of
Ulster BOCES District Superintendent Charles Khoury, which integrated a neighborhood survey that generated round 800 responses. In line with the survey, probably the most desired skilled enjoy for the following superintendent had been enjoy in attracting, recruiting and protecting groups of remarkable educators; enjoy as a lecture room instructor; and enjoy as a superintendent. Further desired enjoy comprises enjoy as a development main; enjoy in a high-performing, high-expectation district; and enjoy in selling and comparing fairness and social justice training.
Within the most sensible 3 desired skilled abilities had been organising a local weather of believe and admire; management of training, finding out and curriculum; and fostering excessive expectancies and making improvements to the tradition.
After all, desired non-public attributes had been additionally sought, with being professional in growing and fostering a favorable setting within the district; reveals knowledge, humor and compassion; and inspirational group builder a few of the most sensible possible choices.
Within the district’s press free up, College Board President Johanna Herget mentioned Gratto’s enjoy was once some of the key causes he was once a just right are compatible for New Paltz. But it surely wasn’t the one one.
“Mr. Gratto’s considerate and methodical option to each facet of his paintings inspired us,” Herget mentioned. “His confirmed monitor report of the use of knowledge to make choices will likely be necessary to shifting the District ahead post-pandemic so as to meet the wishes of all scholars.”
She added that Gratto is a hands-on administrator.
“His presence and involvement in his present and former districts in reality stood out, as did his simple, simple verbal exchange taste,” Herget mentioned. “He was once very open, truthful, and obtainable in his interviews…It was once transparent that he lives and breathes doing this paintings. We heard from his earlier district that he’s at each tournament, he’s within the hallways, and he’s totally engaged.”
Gratto mentioned he seems ahead to hitting the bottom working in New Paltz in January.
“I plan on listening so much and serving to whatsoever I will be able to,” he mentioned. “I view my activity as serving to the lecturers and the directors do their activity and serving to the scholars develop.”
The NPCSD mentioned it’s making plans a bigger advent to the district for Gratto so as to give the neighborhood a chance to satisfy their new superintendent earlier than he formally takes over.