Category: District News

July 7, 2022

Dear Fort Plain School Community,

Happy July! I had the pleasure of attending the fantastic “4th on the Weekend” community event on July 2nd. It was wonderful to see so many of you coming together to celebrate our country’s independence.

As I stated in my very first message to you, “It is an honor to be offered the opportunity to serve as the superintendent of schools for Fort Plain Central School District.”

As I make my way through the transition from building leader to superintendent, I want to share with you some of my initial priorities. I am working diligently with our administrative team to prepare to offer a robust academic program in the upcoming school year. Our goal is to provide relevant and rigorous academic programs to all of our students. Throughout the summer, many teachers will be working on curriculum development projects to ensure that all students will be able to meet the expected performance criteria associated with the Next Generation Learning Standards.

In addition to working closely with the administrative team, I am actively immersing myself in learning about all of the District’s operations to better understand the practices, procedures and routines associated with running a school district. In the upcoming months, I will convene a strategic planning team to set goals associated with improving student outcomes, increasing student participation in co and extra curricular activities, and improving school-wide communication.

An ongoing priority of mine is to pay close attention to our school culture and climate. What we do and how we feel about it matters deeply. We will be an organization where ideas are shared freely and communication flows regularly between all stakeholders. As we look to the future, whether as a student, parent/guardian or professional, know that I value your partnership and look forward to collaborating to achieve the goals we set forth. Please be sure to check our school website or the ParentSquare app periodically to receive updates about the fall and to learn about opportunities to engage with the school.

Be well everyone!

Sincerely,
Lauren Crisman
Superintendent

Fort Plain Central School is posting a new position, Director of Student Engagement and Athletics, to focus on existing programs and strengthen experiences for students. The director will collaborate with the district’s athletic coordinator and building principals to take programs to another level.

According to Superintendent Lauren Crisman, “Currently, the responsibility of organizing and monitoring all extra-curricular and co-curricular groups/clubs and events falls under the authority of the Jr./Sr. High School principal. In addition to these groups/clubs, the FPTA bargaining agreement includes the position of athletic coordinator. These programs provide our students with the ability to interact locally within our school district and community, but also with other school districts and communities.

“These interactions enhance student growth, improve social skills, develop interest and talents; they also provide students with the opportunity to explore and learn new things. The district would like to focus on these programs and strengthen the experience for our students by creating an administrative position that will be able to collaborate with the athletic coordinator and the building principals to take these programs to another level.”

The following is a brief description of co-curricular activities and responsibilities of the Director of Student Engagement and Athletics

Description:
Supports advisors, club leaders, directors and coordinators by providing guidance and leadership for activities, programs, and learning experiences that are outside of, but complement what students are learning in the regular curriculum.
Such programs may include, but not limited to, National Honor Society, Student Council, Math Clubs, Writing Competitions, Mock Trials, School Newspaper, Drama Club, Chess Club and Talented & Gifted.

Responsibilities:
Ensure all clubs, activities and organizations are run in accordance with Board policies, NYS Comptroller, NYSED rules and regulations; encourage and embrace a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all District programs; update the Advisor’s Handbook; meet regularly with advisors & coordinators; complete the proper use of facility form and transportation request forms; review the programs student attendance, participation and results; develop a consistent plan to ensure the district has set forth high standards; compile a student eligibility list; serve as a facilitator of the school based attendance and conduct management teams; and other duties assigned by the superintendent.

Recruitment and Engagement:
Assist in recruitment efforts and hiring of current programs; identify and develop prospective opportunities to enhance student experience; provide support with student needs by collaborating with school faculty and administrators to strategically recommend student-specific activities/opportunity; provide professional development and job embedded coaching;

Community:
Publicize and promote community attendance to help celebrate achievement and support student involvement in co-curricular, extracurricular and athletic events; seek out and evaluate potential community partners; create a calendar of events and write articles to be published on the school website, ParentSquare and Facebook.

Currently the Fort Plain Teachers’ Association includes the title Athletic Coordinator as an extracurricular position; with the administrative oversight of the Jr./Sr. High School Principal. The creation of the Director of Student Engagement and Athletics will shift the administrative oversight to the Director. This will allow the department to focus on collaborating and enhancing an athletic program that can provide the best opportunities to our students.

The following information compares the duties and responsibilities of the Athletic Coordinator and the Athletic Director

Athletic Coordinator
• Assist the Athletic Director in implementation of an effective program;
• Collaborate with Director to schedule sporting events;
• Collaborate with Director schedule officials for sporting events;
• Schedule chaperones/supervision, scorekeepers, timekeepers and others for events;
• Scheduling of practices in collaboration with coaches;
• Troubleshoot and resolve scheduling conflicts;
• Complete facility use forms;
• Complete transportation request forms;
• On a rotating schedule with the Director, attend 50% of home sporting events;
• Work on special projects and other tasks as assigned by the Director.

Athletic Director
• Prepare the annual budget in coordination with the Superintendent and the Director of Finance;
• Ensure all coaches keep inventory of team equipment and supplies, maintain proper cleaning/care and storage of all uniforms and equipment;
• Purchase necessary equipment and supplies as needed and budgeted for;
• Approves all athletic claims for reimbursement and payroll;
• Oversee all athletic tickets sales, activities and fundraisers;
• Network with area schools and advise the Superintendent of potential need for cross-contracts to be presented to the BOE for annual approval;
• Ensures district adherence to all NYSPHASS and district policies and regulations;
• Serves as an athletic representative to the WAC conference;
• Assist in the recruitment and hiring of coaches;
• Assist coaches in meeting the professional certification requirements through NYSED;
• Schedule CPR/AED and First Aid training;
• Coordinate with the Director of Buildings and Grounds to ensure that playing fields and other school facilities are properly prepared for use;
• Collaborate with Coordinator to schedule sporting events;
• Collaborate with Coordinator schedule officials for sporting events;
• Coordinate with the Transportation Supervisor to ensure all transportation needs are scheduled and filled;
• Compile a student eligibility list based on Athletic guidelines;
• Collaborate with the school nurse and school physician to ensure students’ physicals are up-to-date;
• On a rotating schedule with the Coordinator, attend 50% of home sporting events;
• Establish one parent/coaches meeting per season to review the District’s expectations for participation;
• Publicize and communicate local events on the school website and other social media platforms;
• Serves as a liaison with the Fort Plain Parks and Recreation program sponsors;
• Work on special projects and other tasks as assigned by the Superintendent.

The above information shows how the creation of the Director of Student Engagement and Athletics can better serve the student body and the community as a whole.

The candidate for this position would have to possess a NYS administrative certification and experience in coaching athletics at the secondary level. The position will be a 10-month, with 23 summer days, probationary position. Compensation would be based on the level of education and experience of the selected candidate.