Schools chief gives back to profession

District 24 Superintendent Dr. Edward Fale likes to look at his job beyond Valley Stream. Through his work with the New York State Council of School Superintendents, Fale has helped put together a comprehensive report about his profession.

Fale was honored for his work at the NYSCOSS conference in Albany on Jan. 10. The council recently released “Snapshot 2009,” an overview of the superintendency in New York. Fale said this document is updated and published every three years and surveys all 681 public school districts in the state as well as regional BOCES.

The purpose of “Snapshot,” Fale said, is to provide a document useful to superintendents, aspiring superintendents and boards of education. It analyzes how many women and minorities are in the field, the age of superintendents, salaries by region, career paths to get to the position, why people seek the job and more. “At one point, the superintendent was really seen as a position for white males,” Fale said, adding that many years ago, people spent their entire careers as a superintendent. Today it is considered the capstone to a career.

Fale, who co-chaired the committee that drafted the report, worked with nine other superintendents, administrators and education professors. He said all time spent doing research was on a volunteer basis. “You do it at night and on weekends,” he said. “I know I spent most of the summer working on it.”

The report is important, Fale said, to entice quality educators to become superintendents. It gives a realistic look at the position, he explained, including its drawbacks. “There is, in New York state, a shortage of aspiring superintendents,” Fale said.

He noted that a number of superintendents have retired in the past few years and that trend is expected to continue. Based on the survey completed for “Snapshot,” 64 percent of superintendents on Long Island indicated that they plan to retire by 2013. Statewide, he said, more than 40 percent plan to leave the position in the next three or four years. “The concern is who is going to take these positions,” he said.

In addition, the report analyzed what makes an effective board of education and how that impacts the education of children. Most superintendents did rate their respective boards as effective and “Snapshot” looked at common trends in those districts. Fale noted that school districts with stable leadership tend to have higher levels of student achievement.

Fale has served on the superintendent council’s membership committee for the past nine years. He was nominated for the award by Dr. Robert Ike, superintendent of the Palmyra-Macedon School District and Fale’s committee co-chair.

“He’s devoted a lot of volunteer hours to creating the survey and reviewing the results,” Ike said of Fale. “The finished document is very polished and professional.”

Fale has been a superintendent for 12 years. He came to Valley Stream from the Longwood School District where he was an assistant superintendent. Prior to that, he was principal of H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square.

When he first got the call that he was going to be recognized, Fale thought it was a joke. He said he doesn’t do the work for the recognition. “I’m deeply honored and grateful,” he said.

Fale has worked on the fifth, sixth and seventh editions of “Snapshot.” Diedre Hungerford, a program associate with NYSCOSS, said Fale was also a member of the Pathways to Leadership for Minorities and Women Committee.

Hungerford said the organization honors its members with its Appreciation Award who work tirelessly on behalf of the council and its initiatives. “This dedication and act of volunteerism on behalf of superintendents is an action of advocacy that affects every member of this organization,” Hungerford said. “Dr. Fale received this award for his integrity and commitment to education and service to the members of The Council.”

Carole Meaney, president of the District 24 Board of Education, said she was pleased that Fale was acknowledged for his efforts. “On behalf of my fellow board members,” she said, “we would like to congratulate Dr. Fale on his accomplishment.”