June 13, 2011

Craig T. Shull, a grades 7 and 8 mathematics teacher at Ichabod Crane Middle School since 2003 and a 1999 Scotia-Glenville graduate, has been hired as the new assistant principal at the Middle School.

The Board of Education made the appointment tonight. His appointment is effective from July 5, 2011 to July 4, 2014. His 2011-12 salary will be $73,000.

Shull holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Elmira College and a master's degree in curriculum and instructional technology from SUNY Albany. He is expected to earn a School Building Leader (SBL) certificate this month.

His administrative internship was done at Ichabod Crane Central Schools from May 2010 to May 2011. He also worked on a Secondary Summer School Administrative Internship in the Troy City School District from June to August 2010.

"We are very pleased to have Mr. Shull begin his administrative career at his alma mater," said Superintendent Susan Swartz. "We feel he will be a strong addition to our administrative team both at the Middle School and throughout the the school district."

He succeeds Thomas Fyvie, who was the interim assistant Middle School principal this school year. He will return to his previous position as dean of students at the high school.

Middle School Principal Shari Keller has announced that she will retire in December.

 "Having received my entire elementary and secondary education at Scotia-Glenville, I have always used our district as the gold standard by which I measure all other districts," Shull wrote in his application.

In 2005, he piloted a co-teaching model that integrated special education students into mainstream classrooms. "This model of instruction has allowed me to witness the benefits of differentiated instruction and collaboration," said Shull, who was involved in integrating the model across all grade levels at Ichabod Crane Middle School.

Shull also noted the importance of "frequent and consistent parent contact" to help students continue being successful at school.

Also since 2005, he has been involved in developing and teaching mathematics through a brain-based model of instruction. Brain-based learning is a comprehensive approach to instruction using current research from neuroscience. Brain-based education emphasizes how the brain learns naturally and is based on what we currently know about the actual structure and function of the human brain at varying developmental stages.

Shull, who lives in Schenectady, worked with the Capital Area School Development Association (CASDA) to present information to other districts on the brain-based model.