Patch Q&A: Dr. Jerry Cicchelli, Briarcliff UFSD Interim Superintedent

Dr. Jerry Cicchelli holds the position of interim superintendent in the . He came on board in July 2010, after former Superintendent Dr. Frances Wills retired. She served the district for 16 consecutive years. Cicchelli said the district hopes to have the permanent replacement for Dr. Wills start on July 1 of this year.

Patch: What was your experience prior to taking the position as Interim
Superintendent in Briarcliff?
Cicchelli: I was superintendent in the Mahopac Central School District for 19 years. Before that, I was superintendent for five years in the Cazenovia School District, which is outside Syracuse. Since retiring, I have held seven interim superintendent positions, three of them in Westchester. In addition, I was an adjunct professor teaching educational leadership at Fordham’s Graduate School of Education and Long Island University.

Patch: What do you like about being interim superintendent?
Cicchelli: What I like most is using all my previous experience to help the district bridge some of the issues and problems they may be facing.

Patch: How is it different being an interim superintendent versus having the
position on a long term basis?
Cicchelli: You don’t want to implement something that is so uniquely yours that someone else won’t embrace it. It’s very important to be sensitive to what you are doing so it contributes to a seamless transition. You also have to consider how to establish yourself with any kind of authority when people know you are in the position temporarily but this is helped by the amount of experience you bring to the situation.

Patch: What is the most challenging part of the job?
Cicchelli: The most challenging thing is the size of the school district. Being a small school district means that as superintendent you are involved in just about everything that occurs, directly or indirectly. There is also a different kind of intensity in a smaller district. Everybody feels it’s their district, so it is important that their input is honored, respected and taken into consideration.

Patch: What is your favorite part of the job?
Cicchelli: My favorite thing about the job is resolving problems to make things work better. When things work better, there is a lot of satisfaction in that. Some things take time and can’t be addressed in six months or a year so it can be frustrating when you can’t fix certain things.

Patch: What changes do you see coming in the short term or the long term?
Cicchelli: Because we are a small district, with declining enrollment and anticipated reduced funding from New York State, we have to look at how we can continue to do what we’re doing but in a different and sustainable way, without losing what we really value.

Patch: What is going on with the selection process for a new Superindentent
of Schools?
Cicchelli: A consultant has been selected and they are conducting surveys of the community and to get input on the kind of person the community is looking for. is to have new superintendent selected in the April-May timeframe, with the superintendent starting July 1.

Patch: What is a typical day like for you?
Cicchelli: My typical day is spent dealing with problems, both large and small. I am starting to prepare for budget presentations, which will take place in February and March, so I am working with a lot of numbers and what they mean in terms of the educational program, at all levels.

Patch: What do you love about working in the Briarcliff community?
Cicchelli: I like working with the members of the Board of Education and I am very impressed with the administrative staff. I spend most of my time with the Board of Education and the administrative staff.