We recently sat down with Ticonderoga Central School District Superintendent Dr. John C. McDonald, Jr. to find out more about the challenges and rewards of serving 16 years as the District Superintendent. McDonald is a highly experienced school administrator with a deep and personal understanding of the demands facing a rural district in an economically challenged region.
About Superintendent Dr. John C. McDonald
Superintendent Dr. John McDonald is a home town son, a resident and 1984 graduate of Ticonderoga High School. He attended Washington University of Virginia, where he graduated in 1988 and taught school in Mobile, Alabama for five years. In 1993 he moved to Boston where he earned a Master’s degree and did some teaching at Northeastern University. 1995, he left Boston to accept a teaching position at the same Upstate NY rural high school where he grew up, and then accepted a position as Principal of the Ticonderoga Middle School. In 2000 he was offered and accepted the position of Ticonderoga School District Superintendent of Schools.
Q. Has the district grown in the time you have been here?
A. No, it has actually shrunk in size; numbers have decreased at the state average of 20% overall. For our district, there are additional challenges resulting from that decrease.
Q. Overall what has been your greatest challenge?
A. Trying to balance the needs of students and staff with what the community can afford given the fact that the state and federal governments have not been consistent or met their obligations in terms of funding. We are constantly looking at improvements and programs, basically working hard to learn how to do things more efficiently without negatively affecting our students. A tight 2% tax cap, demands of Common Core, State and Federal guidelines, and the constant struggle to obtain funding are the challenges we face as a rural district. It is frustrating when you know what you want to do, such as developing programs that have a strong impact on kids, but just don’t have the funding to do it. Districts are presented with more requirements and regulations from the State and Federal government, but with no additional funding to support them. There are programs that the district used to have that the current students are not exposed to due to the lack of funding.
Q. What have been some of the greatest rewards of your job?
A. I am extremely proud that we were named in the top 10% of high schools in New York State by US News and World Report. For the last 3 years we have placed graduates in Ivy League schools. Our staff works diligently to support and raise aspirations for our kids, despite living in a high poverty area. Very thankful to see how our staff supports our students.
I am also proud of our facilities now. We have made a number of significant improvements that put our schools in a good place as we move forward. We recently replaced the school athletic complex on Alexandria Avenue; the track was updated and the fields improved. We also updated the bleachers and made it handicapped accessible. Next up is work on the high school auditorium, a historic treasure (see photo gallery below).
Ticonderoga is a great community…our family loves living here. Ti is a safe place to live and work, grow up, raise a family or start a business.
Q. What is your highest priority initiative?
A. We want to become a national model for rural schools. One of our goals is to raise test scores in the 3 – 8 grade levels. Our biggest need right now is for an after school program for our elementary and middle schools in particular. All of our kids are on free lunch program, but need support beyond the school day: a place to do homework, have an after school snack, some enrichment programs, and transportation are, top priority for our kids. A strong after school program will improve discipline, achievement, and attendance. We are currently writing another grant to try and obtain funding.
Did You Know?
Dr. McDonald lives in Ticonderoga with his wife Andrea and their two daughters. Dr. McDonald enjoys playing golf, running has spent his summers since 1989 as Captain of the Minnie HaHa Paddle Wheel on Lake George!
IMAGES OF HISTORIC TICONDEROGA HIGH SCHOOL
(Click to enlarge photos)
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