Once the first female high school principal in Ithaca and a 40-plus year veteran of education, Randy Ehrenberg is calling it quits as superintendent in North Colonie.
Ehrenberg said her time as superintendent was one of academic achievement, fiscal responsibility and a journey rarely considered easy. In retirement, she plans to pursue writing, consulting, family life, curriculum mapping and lots of other things there is little time for with the responsibility of running a school district.
Her favorite part of the job, she said, was being with the students.
I love celebrating with them, she said.
Ehrenberg said she prides herself on the academic strength of the district, regularly considered tops in the Capital District and often regarded as one of the strongest in the state.
However, living apart from her husband, Ron, a labor economist and professor at Cornell University, losing a son and the deaths of students are a few of the roadblocks she had to overcome during her tenure.
Originally from Ithaca, where she spent time teaching and working in administration, Ehrenberg and her husband decided early on that if she was going to take a position in Colonie, they would have two residences and split time between them. She said she is grateful her husband was able to make it out to so many Colonie school events, especially on the weekends, and provided her with a great deal of support. She said her husband is dedicated to education, passionate about his work and plans on continuing to work at the university for a while longer.
`We didn’t envision nine years,` she said of her decision to take a position in North Colonie, but, `in coming here, I found my Cornell. I think I’ve done a pretty credible job.`
Only after her children had gone on the higher education, though, was she willing to become head of a school district, noting she did not want to compromise motherhood for professional admirations.
Ehrenberg said she spent time teaching in a number of locations, including Illinois and Ithaca, before coming to the Capital District. She taught for 17 years and has been in administration for 25.
She has served as middle school assistant principal, high school principal and is the chairwoman of the New York State Association of Women in Administration, an advocacy group for women and minorities.
She was the first woman to be high school principal in Ithaca.
`I was always comfortable in the role,` she said. `Some were more comfortable with the notion, some were less.`
She rose through the ranks, holding administrative positions such as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and deputy superintendent roles. She said the interview process in Colonie was extensive, taking months before being offered the job.
`The Board of Education knew more about me than my own mother,` she said.
But she appreciated the thoroughness of the board and said she understood how serious education was to the community.
While it is often difficult to come into a new district where many other administrators have deep roots, she spent months getting to know everyone and learning about the people she would interact with on a daily basis.
She said she is proud of a number of programs, such as science research, K to 12 reading and writing, technology advancements, globalization initiatives and elementary school foreign language.
Seven out of the nine years she headed North Colonie, the Business Review deemed North Colonie the best of the 85 Capital District school systems.
The district achieved that ranking at `a very reasonable rate to the taxpayers,` she said, crediting a yearly audit of the district programs and a through cost-benefit analysis.
Ehrenberg said her relationship with the board of education, teachers, community and students has been a positive experience, although, due to an aging set of teachers and administrators when she started, she estimated she replaced close to 70 percent of the administration and 60 percent of the teachers during her time.
Her goal was to build off the momentum and experience of those leaving.
`[I wanted to] preserve what was so powerful in their environment,` she said.
The journey was not without its difficulties, as Ehrenberg said student who were lost due to illness and other circumstances during her tenure required her to be strong for the community despite the sadness.
`We have to act strong for the rest of the world,` she said. `Being strong for others during times of crisis, it really takes its toll.`
To add to the hardship, she lost her own son, Eric, two years ago to cancer.
`Eric’s death probably sped up my leaving the district,` she said.
Ehrenberg said she leaves North Colonie knowing she gave the job her all and has few regrets.
`You have to feel that more often than not, your decisions are good ones,` she said.
She said making `hundreds` of judgment calls each day requires confidence that she had the best information possible. She said she always tried her best to put students first.
`I like to keep the voices of the students in my head,` she said.
Ehrenberg took specific pleasure in letting students know when they were successful and often penned letters for small victories for students and tried to let them know their work was appreciated.
She has worked closely with her successor, D. Joseph Corr, and has been giving him extra advice since he was selected to take over for her earlier this year.
She said it’s always easier when more resources are available and the next school year is sure to be a challenge with the state deficit looming, but she said she is confident in Corr. She said listening to the community, thinking and communicating will be keys to success.
`I know his heart and head will be in the right place,` she said. `I think he will be a very successful superintendent.`
She said she is only a phone call away if he ever needs any advice.
Corr said he is thankful for his time with Ehrenberg and was glad to work with her for six years before taking over for her.
`I’m just very grateful to Randy Ehrenberg for all her mentoring and support personally and professionally,’ Corr said. `We were very blessed to have her in this district and I will miss her.`
He said he is planning on closely monitoring the district’s financial situation and will `continue to work and keep focus.`
Ehrenberg said in her time away from North Colonie, she hopes to pursue both fiction and non-fiction writing and can use some already published materials as a jumping off point for other works about education, an area where she has experience she would like to pass on to others. Ehrenberg said although her retirement will still have some structure to it, since she is too accustomed to structure to abandon it, there will be plenty of time to enjoy scenic parks and spending time with her family.
`It’ll feel very different,` she said of retirement.
Ehrenberg’s final day is July 31.
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