The Ridgefield Board of Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. JeanAnn Paddyfote as the Interim Superintendent of Schools, replacing current Acting Superintendent Dr. Robert Miller. Dr. Paddyfote’s appointment will begin July 1, 2018. She will serve as Interim Superintendent in the district until a permanent Superintendent is appointed.
The Ridgefield BOE personnel search committee conducted a search for an Interim Superintendent of Schools and received a number of applications. Candidates were screened and interviewed by the personnel search committee.
“Dr. Paddyfote stood out to us during the interview process as an experienced, capable, collaborative and approachable leader committed to academic excellence and furthering the mission and vision of our district” said Board Chair Frances Walton.
Dr. Paddyfote served as Superintendent of the New Milford schools for over 13 years, and a part of the New Milford public school administration for over 25 years. Her prior position in New Milford was as long term Director of Pupil Personnel and Special Services. Most recently, she served as Interim Superintendent of Schools in Avon, CT from August 2017 – March 2018.
References for Dr. Paddyfote describe her as a clear communicator; resourceful; at ease with faculty, staff, students and parents; dedicated; respectful of all levels of staff; committed to education and students. During her appointment in Avon, Dr. Paddyfote ‘s responsibilities aligned to the current needs in Ridgefield: she developed and presented the district budget and worked with the BOE negotiations team to approve collective bargaining agreements. She also facilitated the work of the superintendent search consultant and served as the transition administrator with the new superintendent.
From her leadership role in New Milford, Dr. Paddyfote brings a depth and breadth of highly relevant experience. Some notable accomplishments during her tenure there include: addressing declining enrollment through a broad-based committee of stakeholders, development of programs and services for children with special education needs, successfully reconfiguring PK-8 schools, developed Project Lead the Way STEM programs at the middle and high school, and increased AP course offerings at the high school.
The BOE would like to thank Dr. Robert Miller for his time and effort as the Interim Superintendent these past few months. He managed the day-to-day operational and leadership responsibilities of the Superintendent while successfully navigating the proposed 2018-19 school budget through referendum approval, and overseeing the hiring of the new RPS Business Manager among other initiatives.
The BOE is currently reviewing proposals submitted by executive search firms to conduct the search for the permanent superintendent. Initial planning will occur over the summer. Community outreach and focus groups will be planned for early September to invite community input in the new Superintendent selection. The BOE intends to have a permanent Superintendent for our schools during the first half of 2019.