Administrative Appointment

The Schenectady City School District is pleased to share that Jessica Valente was selected to serve as Director of Early Childhood Education. Her appointment was approved by the Board of Education at the meeting held July 1, 2026.

Valente brings 13 years of rich experience in classroom teaching and instructional leadership to this role. She is highly skilled in fostering collaborative partnerships with community agencies, leading robust curriculum and assessment initiatives, and implementing systemic improvements that directly elevate student outcomes.

Valente is a familiar leader in our district, having most recently served as the Assistant Director of Early Literacy and Prekindergarten Programming for the Schenectady City School District since 2022. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Principal and 504 Chairperson in the Amsterdam School District, and spent two years as an Assistant Principal and CPSE/CSE Chairperson for the Corinth Central School District. She also worked within the Ballston Spa Central School District from 2016 to 2019 as an Instructional Technology Coach and fifth-grade teacher, building upon her foundational classroom teaching career that began in 2012.

Valente earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Criminal Justice from SUNY Albany, a Master of Science in Childhood Education from The Sage Graduate School, and an administrative certificate from the Leadership Academy at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Please join us in congratulating Ms. Valente on her appointment and welcoming her to this new leadership role as she guides the continued growth and success of our early childhood programs.

>> Download pdf of announcement here.