DEC. 9, 2022 Press Release: The Nyack Union Free School District Board of Education is proud to share with the community today that the Board has identified Ms. Susan Yom as the finalist for their next Superintendent of Schools. The Board plans to appoint Ms. Yom at its next Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, December 13, after a site visit and successful contract negotiations.
“After engaging with our school community, the Board set out to identify a results-driven leader with deep knowledge in the areas of curriculum, facilities, personnel, pupil services, and—of course—diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Board President Jen Marraccino. “Ms. Yom’s experience, core values, and educational goals align with Nyack Public Schools — and both her knowledge of and enthusiasm for the work we are doing here in Nyack stood out immediately.”
Ms. Yom emerged from a strong field of candidates. The Board retained Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates to conduct a confidential search, which included focus groups of about 65 stakeholders and a community-wide survey to which over 438 people responded. Twenty candidates from 4 states applied directly for the position, and HYA recruited 23 additional candidates from three states. After a screening and interviews, HYA presented a slate to the Board of Education. The Board conducted comprehensive interviews over several days, selecting Yom as its unanimous choice.
Ms. Yom is an experienced educator with nearly twenty-seven years of service to public education. She is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for the Clarkstown Central School District, where she has served since 2016. At Clarkstown, Ms. Yom centered her leadership practices on designing student-centered learning environments to support the whole child. She also led the District’s strategic planning process, strengthened the K-12 curriculum, created innovative programs, implemented a robust K-12 Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program, and managed numerous grants and professional development initiatives.
Ms. Yom started her career as an elementary classroom teacher in the Fairfax County, VA Public School District. She then began what would become a 17-year stint at the City School District of New Rochelle, NY as the Assistant Principal of Jefferson Elementary School before moving to New Rochelle’s central office administration. At the school and district level, Ms. Yom leveraged her considerable data and equity skills to meet district goals and lift outcomes. Over the next decade, she was promoted from Coordinator of Data Analysis, Assessment, and Accountability to Director of Research, Assessment, and Accountability and Chief Information Officer. A proud graduate of the Bronx High School of Science in New York, Ms. Yom holds Master of Education Degrees from both Columbia University Teachers College and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Smith College in Northampton, MA.
“I was attracted to Nyack Public Schools for its commitment to excellence through equity,” Ms. Yom said. “My entire career is marked by an unwavering pursuit of equity for all students. I have designed educational support systems that have empowered school leaders to break down structural barriers and accelerate learning, all of which will enhance my efforts to realize the goals outlined in Nyack’s Strategic Plan for Excellence through Racial Equity—hand in hand with staff, students, families and the community.”
The Board wishes to thank the community for its support, engagement and input throughout this process. We look forward to introducing Ms. Yom to our school community in the coming weeks, during which our interim superintendent, Dr. James J. Montesano, will help ensure a smooth transition.
SEPT. 2022: The Board of Education for Nyack Public Schools is committed to the interest and engagement of the school community and will keep stakeholders informed with updates on the 2022 Superintendent Search. The Board of Education retained the services of Hazard, Young, Attea @ Associates (HYA), a consulting firm that specializes in assisting school boards with the consideration of candidates for superintendent. Representatives of HYA, Deborah Raizes and Dr. Susan Guiney, reviewed with the Board of Education the various components of this important process. This included plans and agendas for upcoming meetings, interviews and group meetings, online surveys, development of characteristics of the next new superintendent, and timeline leading to the selection.
This webpage will be updated to provide the public with information on this Superintendent Search as it is made available by the Board of Education.