APPOINTMENT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF RIDGEFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS from Board of Education chairman, Austin Drukker
At its regular meeting on November 24, 2014, the Ridgefield Board of Education announced with great pleasure the appointment of Dr. Karen Baldwin as the district’s new Superintendent of Schools, effective July 1, 2015.
That said, after a long and detailed search, which included numerous interviews, conversations with both current and past employees (both teachers and administrators), as well as lengthy exchanges with present and previous members of her Board of Education, we are thrilled that our search has yielded a candidate who is a perfect fit for Ridgefield Public Schools. Tonight, on behalf of the Ridgefield Board of Education, I would like to introduce you to Dr. Karen Baldwin, who will begin with our District on July 1, 2015.
Dr. Baldwin is currently the Superintendent for the Suffield Public Schools where she has served since 2011. Among her notable accomplishments in Suffield are implementation of full-day kindergarten and a complete re-design of the middle school instructional program. In addition, Dr. Baldwin overhauled the district’s technology framework, achieving universal wireless connectivity, and moved the district to a 1:1 Chromebook environment for every high school student this school year and for the middle school next year. She led a turnaround in the area of Special Education creating a robust in-district K-12 reading infrastructure resulting in positive feedback and support from parents across the district. She has skillfully reallocated resources each year to support new initiatives while keeping annual budget increases at less than two percent per year.
In conversations with both her current and previous Board of Education chairs, they describe her as an inspiring leader, one who puts the needs of the district and its students at the front of all of her decisions. They spoke of her willingness to make hard decisions while still inspiring confidence and loyalty in her staff. Robert Eccles, the prior Chairman of the Board in Suffield told us that Dr. Baldwin was hired at a time when Suffield had a need to improve the effectiveness of their school leadership, and develop a district-wide culture of excellence. Because of the efficacy of the processes she implemented, Suffield school district was able to affect a number of improvements in learning and curriculum. Mary Lou Sanborn, the current Board Chair, affirmed Dr. Baldwin’s ability to make difficult decisions while still helping to grow a sense of community and collaboration. They both spoke to her ability to create an environment of teamwork and respect between administration and teachers while also including parents and the community as appropriate. Kris Pryce, who was voted Suffield’s 2014 teacher of the year, described Dr. Baldwin’s decision to join us in Ridgefield as a huge loss to Suffield. “She is collaborative and has the utmost value and respect for the teachers she works with.” “Her furtherance of professional development for teachers in her district shows what a strong and dedicated educational leader she is. I will miss her support for my continuous learning and the districts continuous improvement.”
Before Suffield, Dr. Baldwin was Superintendent for Watertown Public Schools in Connecticut (2008-2011) where she spearheaded a transformation of facilities through three school renovation projects delivered on-time and under budget. Dr. Baldwin also secured a grant, Parents Supporting Educational Excellence (SEE), used to create a parents’ group to advocate and communicate the district’s mission, vision and goals.
Her skillful budgeting, caring attitude, and strong management style have made her a sought- after candidate for several top superintendent roles in Fairfield County.
Diane D. Ullman, the Director of the Administrator Prep Program at the NEAG School of Education, University of Connecticut said, “Dr. Baldwin has demonstrated the ability to bring an entire school community together around a vision for student learning and is considered a state leader in her ability to create a culture of learning and high performance.” She also calls on Dr. Baldwin regularly to lecture new superintendents.
Dr. Robert Villanova, Director of the Executive Leadership Program at University of Connecticut, commends her strong communication skills and her interpersonal communication effectiveness. He wrote, “I have observed her building consensus and managing the inevitable conflict that arise when there are multiple points of view. I consider this to be an essential set of skills for a 21st century superintendent. I believe Karen Baldwin has all the attributes and skills necessary to hit the ground running, and to be an exceptional Superintendent for the Ridgefield Public Schools.”
Prior to her Superintendent posts, Dr. Baldwin served in a number of administrative roles including Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources Director, and Middle School Assistant Principal in Wethersfield, Connecticut and Athletic Director in Fallsburg, New York.
She holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from University of Hartford as well as a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is on the Leadership Advisory Committee of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) and has been a regular presenter at the University of Connecticut Executive Leadership Program since 2009.