Dear MCS Families,
I’m incredibly grateful to the Middleburgh Board of Education for selecting me as your next Superintendent. I look forward to getting to know the Middleburgh community, our students, our families, and the team of professionals who work tirelessly to create a learning environment that supports each student.
I grew up in an area much like Middleburgh—a small, rural area between Oneonta and Norwich in Chenango County. I found my joy in music, playing both the saxophone and trombone during middle school and high school. Between my junior and senior year, I applied for and was selected to be a Rotary Exchange student to Australia. During that year I forged lifelong friendships and found my “home away from home” having revisited seven times since. During that year I embraced Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self”. That motto has been a part of my life ever since—shaping both my life and career. And you will see that motto reflected in my servant leadership style.
This year marks my 26th year as an educator. I spent the first half of my career in the classroom developing my craft as a high school science teacher. To this day, teaching remains my greatest passion; however, early in my career I had the privilege of working for an amazing principal. Through her example, I saw how an administrator can be of service to educators and through them serve the needs of many more students than I alone could do in my classroom. Her example shaped my thinking about my career path, and in 2009, after 13 years in the classroom, I moved into an administrative role in the City School District of Albany as their Chief Information Officer.
My responsibilities in Albany included overseeing the integration of technology into the classroom, analyzing data, aligning assessments, and implementing teacher evaluations. I felt connected to the work and that I was making a difference–especially supporting educators—however, I missed seeing students, and after seven years in that role, I applied for and was appointed as the superintendent in the Milford Central School District—a small, rural school district of 360 students located between Oneonta and Cooperstown.
I remained in Milford for five years, and it was like reliving my childhood. I knew every student and staff member by name, and I attended nearly every music concert and home athletic event over those five years. I had found my second home, and I was sure Milford was where I was going to retire from. And then the pandemic hit, and our world changed. And that was true in Milford as well. Of the seven Board members who hired me, only two remained. It was clear that the vision we had been working on for five years was not the vision of the new Board. The path forward did not appear to be conducive to a good working relationship, and so we agreed to a mutual separation. Although I did not want to leave, it was the right decision for our students, our staff, and the community because as a leader in the field of education, there is no greater responsibility than doing what is right and leading through integrity—even when it is difficult.
I spent the next six months reflecting on my career. I questioned at one point whether I wanted to stay in the field of education; however, my passion for teaching and leading educators has never wavered. It is my joy. In January of this year I found my way to the Newburgh Enlarged City School District, the 10th largest district in the state. I served as their Acting Executive Director of Information and Technology while they searched for a new Superintendent. During my six months in Newburgh, I had the most amazing experience working with a team of dedicated professionals serving the needs of over 12,000 students. The work was very challenging but also very rewarding. What I missed most though was interacting directly with students and staff on a daily basis.
Knowing my position was temporary, I began the process of searching for a district where my vision and the district’s vision align. And that is how I found my way to applying to become the superintendent of the Middleburgh Central School District.
Middleburgh’s vision embodies seven core beliefs: Knowledgeable, Nurturing, Inspiring, Global, Honorable, Teamwork, and Students. An acronym of our mascot: the Knights!
My vision of K-12 education has been refined over the course of my career and closely aligns with the MCS vision. It reads:
Schools are only truly successful when they provide a foundation for students to pursue their personal passions, develop healthy relationships, and contribute positively to society. And that foundation is created through a learning environment that has a well-articulated curriculum; engaging instruction; and access to opportunities for exploration including field trips, career and technical education, after-school programs, and extracurricular activities.
I’m excited to have this opportunity to lead the Middleburgh Central School District, and I look forward to forging a truly collaborative effort with the Board, staff, families, students, and the community to build upon our many successes and identify new opportunities for our students.
Sincerely,
Mark Place
Superintendent of Schools