Karen Baldwin Appointed Next Suffield Superintendent of Schools

The Suffield Board of Education has selected Karen Baldwin to be its new superintendent of schools. Baldwin comes to Suffield from Watertown where she has been school superintendent since 2008. She previously served as assistant superintendent and director of human resources in the Wethersfield school system.

The search to fill the school superintendent position featured 19 candidates. The board selected six candidates for interviews based on attributes that were in line with the results of the Suffield community superintendent profile assessment. The profile was developed through focus group and survey research conducted in January.

“We are very excited about Karen coming to Suffield,” said Board of Education Chair Mary Roy. “The years of experience that she brings as a school superintendent will help us to maintain and improve the excellence of the Suffield schools even as we continue to experience the financial challenges of these economic times.”

Baldwin is a graduate of the University of Connecticut Administrator Certification program, and Teachers College of Columbia University, where she received a Master’s degree in educational administration. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from the University of New Hampshire.

Baldwin’s leadership experience in Connecticut began in 1998, when she was hired as the physical education and health department supervisor for West Hartford public schools. She moved to a middle school assistant principal position in Wethersfield in 2000 and was appointed director of human resources in 2003.

Baldwin will serve as Suffield’s new school superintendent beginning August 1, 2011. Her total compensation package is $180,000 for the 2011-12 school year. The compensation package comprises base salary and an annuity as well as the same health insurance package offered to other administrators in the school district.

The Suffield Board of Education invites students, parents, community members and town officials to meet Karen Baldwin during a reception at the Suffield High School Commons on Thursday, June 2, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone unable to attend those sessions is encouraged to attend either the 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. or the 3:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. receptions for school personnel. The board’s June 7 meeting agenda will include the official appointment of Baldwin as superintendent.

The search for Suffield’s new school superintendent was conducted by CES (Executive Search Services), a company that offers Connecticut school districts a comprehensive approach to hiring superintendents, assistant superintendents and central office staff in a cost-effective manner.