East Ramapo school superintendent candidate rejected by state appointed monitors
The school board says it was not given a reason why as the search restarts ahead of July 1, 2026 deadline.
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The East Ramapo Central School District is once again searching for a new superintendent of schools after state‑appointed monitors rejected the school board’s top choice earlier this month.
The board announced the rejection at Tuesday night's school board meeting, which the public can watch online.
According to the board, they were unanimous with their choice, who they described as a bilingual Latina who lives within the district and was a "seasoned educator." No other identifiable information, like name, age or experience, was given.
Board members said they followed the required process and were not told why the candidate was rejected, even though they felt the monitors allowed her to advance to the final stages.
“Our students cannot wait for politics to be resolved. They need leadership now. This is not just about a candidate. This is about the future of East Ramapo,” said school board member Sabrina Charles‑Pierre.
"Hopefully things will change sooner than later, because what suffers is our district and our children," said school board vice president Sherry McGill.
Another board member, Yitzchok Gruber, did not hold back.
"It makes us believe that there is an agenda within the state to make sure that East Ramapo fails," Gruber says.
Nearly 30 applicants were reviewed, and four candidates were presented for interviews, according to the board.
Dr. Shelley Jallow, one of the state monitors, declined to speak about the denial, citing privacy for the candidate, but did defend her decisions during the process, which involved vetting and removing candidates early on.
“I was involved in rejecting two candidates for specific reasons for the benefit of the district. They should not have been moved forward. But still, that's not an approval,” said Jallow.
Board president Shimon Rose pushed back, saying, “We’re arguing over here over vetted or approved, but it's clear you were intimately involved in this process. You approved these candidates to move forward.”
Even during a recent meeting with the state education commissioner, several board members said they were not given a reason for the rejection.
JP O'Hare, a spokesperson for the state Education Department, said the monitors acted under the department's authority and informed the department of concerns with the candidate, who was then rejected.
He added, "The Department, monitors, and board are committed to finding a qualified superintendent to lead the East Ramapo Central School District."
The district is back searching for a new superintendent ahead of the July 1 deadline.
East Ramapo is currently on its second interim superintendent in two years.
The next superintendent would be the district’s sixth leadership change since the 2019–2020 school year.
