Retiring Baldwin Superintendent, 'Led With Humility' For More Than A Decade

"I would describe our school system as easily the best in New York State and one of the best in the country," Dr. Shari Camhi told Patch.

For more than a decade, Dr. Shari Camhi has been superintendent of the Baldwin Union Free School District.

Camhi is retiring this summer as the district sees a 99-percent high school graduation rate.

"I would describe our school system as easily the best in New York State and one of the best in the country," Camhi proudly told Patch.

The veteran educator said Baldwin is much more than just about test scores.

"If you rate the success of a school district based on how innovative it is. If you ask students how much do you love coming to school every day. If you test the critical thinking skills and the creativity of our students, hands down it's an outstanding school system," she said.

While the accomplishments are plentiful during her tenure in Baldwin, Camhi isn't one to pat herself on the back.

"I have led with humility the full 11 years," Camhi said. "It has been a team effort to reimagine what our school system looks like and to really think about learning looks like in 2025."

The district is looking toward the future with a proactive focus on how teaching will look in the next decade, a project Camhi put in place when she arrived in Baldwin.

"We are halfway there, and, honest, when 2035 hits, we'll be looking at Baldwin 2045," Camhi said. "The evolution of schools and the evolution of learning should be fluid. It shouldn't be stuck in time."

Camhi has hosted visitors from across the nation in her district and spearheaded the Redefining Ready New York initiative, capturing the attention of educators across the state. Her innovative work in the district has been featured on PBS’ MetroFocus.

"You have to have a vision. You have to have courage," she said. "You have to give your faculty and staff the ability to think creatively and to learn."

As her time concludes, Camhi said she'll miss the people and the relationships most, especially in the weeks since her retirement was announced.

She plans to shine a spotlight on news and media literacy, as "every single young person needs to learn to tell the difference between misinformation and factual, true information," Camhi said.

With over 30 years in education, Camhi's career will not stop but it will take on a new look.

"I have too much passion to do nothing," Camhi said. "But it'll allow me some flexibility in my time to expand the work that I'm doing with other school systems and communities."

Ultimately, no matter where her future takes her, Camhi keeps a special place in her heart for what she's accomplished in Baldwin.

"I really believe with all my heart that every single student deserves the kind of experience that the kids in Baldwin get," she said.

Read full article in the Rockville Centre Patch>>