In conducting their search for the new deputy superintendent, the New Paltz Central School District’s Board of Education kept it local, with district resident Linda Oehler-Marx making the cut.
Oehler-Marx was appointed during a meeting of the School Board held on Wednesday, December 7 and will begin her new job on Monday, January 23. She fills a vacancy left by Michelle Martoni, who retired earlier this year.
Currently the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in the Monticello Central School District, Oehler-Marx’s nearly three decades in education includes over 20 years spent as an English teacher. She began her career in 1993 working with students with severe emotional and learning disabilities in the Washington, DC area, moving to the Hudson Valley and working at Beacon High School, Woodstock Day School and Valley Central Middle and High School. She also served as director of instructional support services and school improvement coordinator for Sullivan County BOCES from 2013-15, and is an adjunct professor and student teacher supervisor at SUNY New Paltz.
Oehler-Marx also brings with her to the NPCSD experience leading equity initiatives.
“I have been integrating an equity lens and leading efforts to break down barriers between communities and school districts throughout my career,” said Oehler-Marx in a district press release. “I’m always looking to see where the needs are and then identifying any holes in the resources necessary to fill those needs. Then, it’s a matter of identifying opportunities and partnerships available to address those needs.”
In the Monticello Central School District, Oehler-Marx oversees a “community hub” that offers life-long learning opportunities to area residents, partnering with workforce, economic development, and social services agencies; as well as mental health providers, addiction, business, and arts organizations to help design academic programming to meet community needs. She also created an alternative high school and runs a recently opened preschool program, as well as a special education-focused preschool program that serves all of Sullivan County.
At Monticello, Oehler-Marx counts among her responsibilities securing funding for services like the School Violence Prevention Program, and the McKinney-Vento Grant, which serves unhoused students.
Oehler-Marx earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at the University at Albany, as well as a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Leadership at SUNY New Paltz. She earned a Master of Science in Teaching from Pace University’s School of Education and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Literature/Rhetoric from Binghamton University.
She comes to a NPCSD in a state of transition; Superintendent Stephen Gratto will have only been in his role since the beginning of January. Gratto, alongside district officials and Interim Superintendent Bernard Josefsberg, was involved in the hiring of Oehler-Marx.
“We had an excellent pool of candidates, and we had several people who could have done the job well,” Gratto said. “Dr. Oehler-Marx stood out because of her experience, because she is doing a very similar job right now, and because of her knowledge of many things, in particular early literacy and intervention services. And of course her enthusiasm and personality were outstanding. And as a longtime resident of New Paltz with children who went through the school district, we thought she would have a valuable perspective in that area as well.”
Josefsberg shared similar enthusiasm for Oehler-Marx at the December 7 School Board meeting.
“Dr. Oehler-Marx emerged from a strong field of applicants and from a careful selection process led by Mr. Gratto,” Josefsberg said.“Especially noteworthy is her leadership experience in developing programs and promoting equity, as well as her insights about how to nurture plan change. I am very confident that she’ll be an excellent partner for Mr. Gratto and for all of the students and parents in the district.”
In the district press release, School Board President Johanna Herget touted Oehler-Marx’s experience, particularly with equity initiatives.
“Her experiences align with exactly what we are looking for,” said Herget. “She has been ‘walking the walk’ of every issue the Board has prioritized for a long time. Hearing her speak, it is abundantly clear that she is also well-versed and diverse in her curricular approaches. As a Board, we appreciated the breadth of knowledge she brings to the table.”
Also in the district press release, Oehler-Marx said she was looking forward to joining the NPCSD and serving the community in which she resides in January.
“Forming relationships, obtaining a sense of the culture, familiarizing myself with policies, and doing a deep dive into the data to examine any trends or disparities are some of my immediate goals,” she said. “The idea of being able to serve a community I know well is very powerful for me. I am heavily invested in the community and our school system and I am humbled by this opportunity to serve the town I love.”
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