Mamaroneck Names New Schools Superintendent

Dr Robert Shaps, currently Superintendent of Schools in Hastings, will replace Dr. Paul Fried effective July 1. Dr. Shaps lives in Yonkers.

 

 

Interesting piece from the NY Times from 2006, when Shaps was named Superintendent in Hastings

 

This is the press release from the School District:

 

The Mamaroneck Board of Education today announced that Dr. Robert Shaps, currently Superintendent of Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free School District, is expected to become the new Superintendent of Mamaroneck Public Schools effective July 1, 2010.  Dr. Shaps, replacing Dr. Paul Fried who will retire from the New York State public education system in June of this year, will be appointed at the April 20th Board of Education meeting.  

 "As a successful superintendent of two high-performing districts over the last seven years, Dr. Shaps comes to us with the leadership skills we believe are vital to move our district forward in these difficult times," says Mamaroneck Board of Education President, Linnet Tse. "Dr. Shaps has a proven record of unwavering commitment to academic rigor and educational excellence. He has demonstrated the vision, creativity and problem-solving skills necessary to tackle the tough financial challenges ahead and energetically pursue the continuing improvement of teaching and learning in our district."

Dr. Shaps emerged as the leading candidate following an exhaustive, nationwide search led by Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, LTD (HYA) in which hundreds of community members provided input.  That input was used by HYA to develop a "leadership profile" that outlined what the community was seeking in the next superintendent.   During the search, the Board of Education interviewed many highly qualified candidates, in multiple rounds of interviews. An advisory committee of district stakeholders also interviewed the finalists. 

"It’s a great honor and privilege for me to join the Mamaroneck School District, with its reputation for educational excellence and its engaged, dynamic community, and I look forward to meeting with all of the District’s stakeholders," Dr. Shaps said.  "I’m confident that my experience as an educational leader will enable me to serve Mamaroneck well and offer a new perspective, while leading the school district forward in achieving its goals and standard of excellence in the years ahead."

Prior to his four years as Superintendent in Hastings-on-Hudson, Dr. Shaps spent three years as Superintendent of Manchester Essex Regional School District in Manchester By the Sea, Massachusetts.  He has extensive experience at the secondary level, having served as Principal of Manchester Essex Regional School District’s Middle/High School (noted as one of the highest performing high schools in Massachusetts based on student performance on state exams) and as Assistant Principal at Londonderry High School in New Hampshire. 

Dr. Shaps began his career in education as a Men’s Lacrosse Coach at Lehigh University and Washington & Lee University.  He then launched his own business developing multi-national joint ventures in the areas of agribusiness and technology with Eastern European countries and former countries of the Soviet Union, making use of his Russian language skills. After nine years in business, Dr. Shaps went back to pursue his passion for teaching, with his first classroom experience as a special education teacher at Londonderry High School.

 "In these tough economic times, my business experience has proven beneficial in my work as superintendent. I recognize that Mamaroneck, similarly to school districts around the country, is struggling with the challenge of developing a budget that is fiscally responsible yet does not compromise excellence, and I am eager to begin working to apply my strategic planning and financial skills to support the work of the Mamaroneck educational community," shared Dr. Shaps.  "As an educational leader, I firmly believe the promise of public education is to provide all students with the opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding that will help them succeed in a rapidly changing world.  I am energized and excited by this professional opportunity to guide the challenging work that lies ahead."

Among Dr. Shaps’ most proud accomplishments: implementing Hastings’  Strategic Plan; establishing the high school science research program, which has produced two consecutive Siemens Math and Science National Semi-finalist Award Winners; expanding the high school art program; promoting the integration of instructional technology into teaching and learning leading to innovations in distance learning (last year Hastings received regional recognition for a partnership with the Metropolitan Museum to create an elementary distance learning course that now serves as the Museum’s standard model for delivering distance learning world-wide); building citizen/community partnerships; developing in-district special education programs, and strengthening the District’s theater arts program.  Over the course of his experience as superintendent, Dr. Shaps has emphasized the importance of building coalitions; in Massachusetts, he worked with two communities to design and gain support for the construction of a new regional middle/high school (the school district received regional recognition for green design) and in Hastings, he has promoted shared services and programs among the Quad Village school districts and communities.

Dr. Shaps received his B.A. in English from Hobart College; his Masters in Teaching and Learning from Harvard University; a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in Educational Administration from the University of New Hampshire, and his Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois and graduated from Scarsdale High School. Dr. Shaps resides in Yonkers with his wife Kathleen and his son Ari. He has four children and one grandson.