Welcome to the Superintendent search hub for Glens Falls City Schools! Updates will be posted here as the Board of Education moves toward hiring the next leader of our district.
April 5, 2022: BOE appoints Dr. Krislynn Dengler as next superintendent
The Glens Falls City School District Board of Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Krislynn Dengler as the next superintendent of schools. Dr. Dengler was appointed at a special board meeting tonight and will start on July 1.
Board of Education President Tim Graham shared, “We look forward to welcoming Dr. Dengler to Glens Falls. Her significant expertise in curriculum and instruction, partnered with her school leadership experience, will be a great fit for our students, staff, and community as we work towards our district’s goals. We remain focused on offering high-quality academic programs, helping all students reach their full potential, utilizing technology to succeed in a changing world, and developing life-long learning and civic duty.”
Dr. Dengler has served as superintendent for South Kortright Central School District since 2019, and was principal for six years prior. She began her career as an elementary school teacher at Roxbury Central School followed by eight years at Andes Central School as the reading specialist, academic supervisor, and assistant superintendent. After her time at Andes, Dr. Dengler was the high school principal at Walton Central School prior to moving to South Kortright. Additionally, Dr. Dengler is an adjunct professor of literacy education at State University of New York at Oneonta. Dr. Dengler will be the first female superintendent in Glens Falls.
“I am thrilled to join GF Nation,” said Dr. Dengler. “I especially love the pride the community has for its school. While visiting the district, I saw so many caring individuals in each of the buildings, friendly and respectful students, and robust engagement during the interviews. I look forward to bringing my experience and enthusiasm to the team and continuing the great work at Glens Falls.”
The Board of Education worked with Mike Ford as its search consultant and began the process in January with a community survey. More than 570 survey responses were received that helped guide the Board in its search. A strong response of 23 applications were received for the position, and 11 of those were advanced through the screening process to interviews. The final three candidates each spent a full day in Glens Falls with a district tour, stakeholder committee meetings, and final interviews with the Board of Education. The stakeholder committee members included teachers, students, administrators, parents, and community members, and were selected in consultation with the Board of Education, Glens Falls Teachers Association, Glens Falls Secretaries Association, Glens Falls Administrators Association, CSEA, and Glens Falls Support Staff Association.
“The quantity and quality of the applications received was fantastic and reinforced Glens Falls City Schools’ reputation for attracting and retaining great faculty and staff,” said Jeremy Deason, Board of Education vice president. “We appreciate the district’s involvement throughout the process and the participation by the stakeholder committee members, including the student representatives. Each finalist complimented the groups’ friendly welcome and dedication to the task at hand.”
Dr. Dengler earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and her master’s degree in reading education from State University of New York at Oneonta. She earned her doctorate in educational theory and practice from Binghamton University. She also holds a certificate of advanced study in educational administration from Capella University.
Dr. Dengler will succeed Paul Jenkins, who has served as superintendent of schools since 2011 and is retiring at the end of June.
Search process timeline
| March 4 | Application Deadline |
| March 8 | Applications reviewed with the BOE |
| March 14 – 16 | First round of interviews with the BOE |
| March 15 | Stakeholder Committee Meeting with Mike Ford: 1:30pm or 3:15pm Purpose: Overview of the search process and interview preparation tasks |
| March 21 – 23 | Final Interviews: District Tour Stakeholder Committee #1 1:00pm – 2:15pm Stakeholder Committee #2 2:30pm – 3:45pm BOE 5:30pm |
District Goals: Glens Falls students will…
The Glens Falls City School District offers a high-quality academic program that aims to meet students wherever they are on their educational journey. Our whole team works hard to provide every child with enriching experiences and extra support to “foster self growth, a passion for continuous learning, confidence, and the ability to succeed in a changing world.” Our district-wide focus is on “Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships”—an approach to education that weaves data-driven practices into new frameworks for learning.
In 2015, the district put a “take-home” Chromebook into the hands of every Glens Falls 7-12th grader, after months of faculty professional development on Google’s educational suite (Drive, Docs, Classroom, etc.) and a major WiFi/connectivity overhaul in every school building. We are proud to be one of the first districts to invest in this “one-to-one” approach, which was carefully envisioned as both an equity initiative for our under-resourced students, and a vault into 21st century teaching and learning. Each year since then, the initiative has expanded into lower and lower grades, with all K-12 students well-positioned to take home their device even before the COVID pandemic hit in March of 2020.
For several years now, Social-Emotional Learning and student wellness have been a major focus within the district. Beginning in 2014, the district invested in multi-year poverty training, trauma education, and suicide prevention training for every one of our 400-member staff. We have invested in additional social work, psychology, and elementary counseling staff, we support yoga and mindfulness in classrooms, and we happen to have several certified therapy dogs helping our days go well. In the 2021-22 school year, community-building circles are being used frequently from elementary classrooms to Board of Education meetings, with a focus on relationship-building. The later start time for our High School (8:30 a.m.), implemented in 2013, has positively impacted attendance, engagement, and graduation rates. A commitment to improved technology infrastructure and collaborative spaces has driven major renovation projects and classroom re-designs using flexible, moveable Meteor furniture. These new and reconfigured spaces now increase communication, critical thinking, and creativity among students and adults alike.
Glens Falls’ educational programs align with individual students’ interests, talents, and needs, as well as the New York State Department of Education’s learning standards. Our team of faculty member instructional and technology coaches are immersed in classrooms, providing direct support for our teachers’ growth. Curricular programs used in 2022 include Curriculum Associates Ready Math and Lucy Calkins/Teachers College Units of Study at the elementary level, to Advanced Placement, SUPA (Syracuse University Project Advance), Early College Career Academy (PTECH), and SUNY Adirondack programs in the High School. Our Response to Intervention efforts include a Multi-Tiered Support System for students.
Glens Falls High School has earned several silver medals in U.S. News’ Best High Schools rankings. Glens Falls Middle School is proud of our designation as one of New York State’s 13 Essential Elements: Schools to Watch. And all three of Glens Falls’ elementary schools were named “Recognition Schools” by the NYS Education Department for high academic achievement and student growth during the 2017-18 school year. At the same time, the district advanced off the list of NYSED “Focus” Districts in 2019, after being designated in 2016 based on the underperformance of a sub-group with regard to graduation rate. The GFHS 2019-20 overall graduation rate was 84%.
March 15, 2022: Search process update
Glens Falls’ Superintendent search process is moving into the interview phase over the next few weeks. The Board of Education’s search consultant received 23 applications for the position, and eleven of those have been advanced through the screening process to interviews.
Two stakeholder committees have been filled with 14 individuals on each. Participants were selected in collaboration with the Board of Education, Glens Falls Teachers Association, Glens Falls Secretaries Association, Glens Falls Administrators Association, CSEA, and Glens Falls Support Staff Association. Names of interested parents were grouped by elementary, secondary, and location, then drawn from a hat. The first round of candidate interviews are being conducted by the Board of Education on March 14-16, 2022.
February 17, 2022: Search process update
Dear Faculty, Staff, and Families:
Right now, the search consultant is accepting applications for the position. When the application phase closes on March 4th, the Board of Education will begin the interview process to narrow down a handful of candidates who will move forward.
The interview phase will include multiple stakeholder committees, each made up of 3 teachers, 2 students, 2 support staff members, 2 administrators, 2 parents/guardians, 1 community member, 1 district-wide supervisor, and 1 district office staff member. We are currently seeking volunteers to be on these interview committees.
Stakeholder committees will interview final candidates on the afternoons of March 21, 22, or 23, 2022. Volunteer committee members will be required to attend all three days for approximately 1.5 hours. The specific time and location will be shared once stakeholder committees are determined. In addition, volunteers must be available for a meeting lasting about an hour with the search consultant on March 15, 2022. If there are more volunteers than spots on the stakeholder committees, names will be chosen at random to participate.
If you would like to be considered for one of the parent/guardian representatives on an interview committee, please complete the form HERE. Remember, you must be available on the afternoons of March 15, 21, 22, and 23.
Thank you for being a part of GF Nation!
January 26, 2022: Job posted on NYSCOSS portal
- Job Posting on New York State Council of School Superintendents website
- Application deadline: March 4, 2022
- Interviews anticipated in the month of March
January 12, 2022: Superintendent Search Community survey now open!
Dear School Community members,
The purpose of this message is to introduce you to the process for our superintendent search, following Superintendent Paul Jenkins’s retirement announcement last month, and to ask for your input.
An important early phase of this process provides an opportunity to gain perspective on what’s important to you for the district in the future and the characteristics you believe are important in our next superintendent. To gather this information, a brief survey is available through January 26th.
The survey is available here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Search2022
The Board of Education has decided to work with Mike Ford as the search consultant for this process. Mr. Ford has led many successful search processes and will be meeting with the Board in the coming weeks.
Our initial timeline will have the new superintendent ready to start this summer. However, we know that the timeline is aggressive and subject to change based on a variety of factors. We will keep you informed as we proceed.
On behalf of the Board, thank you for your participation and your support of this important process.
Sincerely,
Tim Graham
Board of Education President
December 29, 2021: Special Board meeting
The Board of Education’s special meeting to discuss superintendent search parameters was live-streamed for members of the community. The virtual meeting can be viewed below.
December 15, 2022: Superintendent Paul Jenkins to retire in summer of 2022
Community letter below.
Dear GF Nation Families:
My goal from the day I began my tenure here in Glens Falls was to make sure I would leave the District in better shape than how I found it. I believe that together, we have been able to do just that. And so today, I’m announcing my retirement at the end of the school year.
It has been my honor to lead the Glens Falls City School District for the past eleven years. With the support and trust of the Board of Education, I have had the privilege to partner with our administration, faculty, staff, students, and community to provide a quality educational experience for our students, expand and upgrade our facilities, introduce and implement new programs, and remain fiscally responsible throughout my time here as Superintendent.
Together, we put Chromebooks in the hands of every Glens Falls student, well before other districts in our state. As a team, we focused on poverty training and trauma education, which has helped hundreds of students achieve their educational goals. We established a later start time for our High School, which has positively impacted attendance, engagement, and graduation rates. And we’ve created spaces and places for truly interactive learning and relationship-building through technology infrastructure projects, classroom re-designs, and yes, even lights on our students’ turf field.
The Board of Education will now determine the search parameters for the next Superintendent, and details on that process will be provided to all in the coming weeks. We still have a great deal of work to do over the next six months, so we won’t be slowing down at all through the spring.
I want to thank you for your commitment to our students and our community. I am proud to have been part of the Glens Falls City School District and all we have been able to accomplish over the years.
Sincerely,
Paul Jenkins
Superintendent
