Coxsackie-Athens School District hires Catskill principal

COXSACKIE, N.Y. ( NEWS10 )– Junait Shah, the former Catskill High School principal, has a new job. Shah will begin a probationary period as the Director of Innovation and Technology at Coxsackie-Athens on Monday, Aug. 19, according to the Coxsackie-Athens Board of Education.

This appointment comes eight days after Shah was placed on administrative leave by Catskill Superintendent Dan Wilson and Catskill’s Board of Education in a 7-1 vote, with members Michael Dedrick absent and Karen Van Wie in opposition.

“We posted the position in late Spring, early Summer and went through an extensive application process,” Randall Squier, Coxsackie-Athens Superintendent of Schools said. “He impressed the team and ultimately, he was who we went with.”

On Aug. 12, Wilson made an announcement on the school’s website entitled “High School Principal Update.” In his update, he wrote, “It was determined that to be in compliance with the New York State Education Department laws and regulations, we had no choice but to take the action we did on Wednesday night and place this employee on administrative leave. “

Although he did not name Shah specifically, Shah does have an expired school Building Leader certificate. However, he does have an active District Leader certificate, which the new position at Coxsackie-Athens requires.

The probationary appointment section of the Aug. 15 agenda states, “Junait Shah, who is certified in the area of School District Leader, to an Administrative position in the Director of Technology tenure area, in the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District for a probationary period commencing on August 19, 2024, and ending on August 18, 2028.” The current Director of Technology, Nicole Lindeman, will remain in the position until Aug. 23.

“We are excited for him to come aboard,” Squier said. “His teaching and leadership background will serve him well in this role.”

Shah’s new position is responsible for overseeing both the academic and technical sides of the technology department, Squier said. “The position is also responsible for collaborating with stakeholder groups to identify new technologies, support existing technologies and provide training and support as needed.”

On Aug. 12, the Catskill Teachers Association said they were disappointed by Shah’s leave. On Thursday, the CTA said the school wouldn’t be the same without Shah.

“The Catskill Teachers Association is saddened by Mr. Shah’s departure from our high school. His dedication and commitment to our students have been invaluable, and we will greatly miss his presence in our school community. We wish him the best in his new role and hope that Coxsackie-Athens will benefit from his enthusiasm. Catskill will not be the same without him.”

Catskill Teachers Association

The C-A Board of Education meeting to appoint shah will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Coxsackie-Athens high school library. Wilson did not immediately return phone calls or emails for comment.

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