The Board of Education approved the appointment of Marie Culihan as the Executive Director of District Improvement on August 5, with an effective start date of September 8. In this role, Culihan will serve as a key member of the Superintendent's Executive Leadership Team. She comes to the position as an exceptionally accomplished, nationally recognized educational leader with a deep commitment to systemic change, continuous improvement, and student equity. Her career reflects a strong track record of transforming school performance and supporting educator growth across both building and district levels.
Culihan is familiar with Schenectady, having previously served as a Schenectady City School District Instructional Coach, where she earned the SCSD Golden Apple Award. Most recently, she served as a principal mentor and receivership support leader in the City School District of Albany, coaching building leaders to execute School Comprehensive Education Plans, strengthen Tier I instruction, and align school-level targets with broader district accountability goals.
Her extensive leadership experience includes serving as principal of the Albany School of Humanities from 2017 to 2025, where she successfully guided the school from Focus School status to being named a 2023 New York State ESEA Distinguished School. By implementing robust Multi-Tiered System of Supports, data-driven decision-making protocols, and instructional coaching systems, she drove sustained academic achievement across all grade levels. Prior to her work in Albany, Culihan served as principal of Cairo-Durham Elementary School for three years following her role as assistant principal.
Culihan's impactful work is recognized both regionally and nationally. Her leadership frameworks are featured in Leverage Leadership 3.0 as a national model for effective instructional coaching and capacity building. Her career distinctions include being named a 2026 Leverage Leadership Institute Fellow and top-performing administrator, earning the Setting the Bar, Proof Point, and Impact Awards. She was also named the 2024 ESAA Capital Region Principal of the Year and the 2022 Albany City School District Principal of the Year.
Culihan holds a Bachelor's in Childhood Education, a Master's in Special Education, and a Master's in Educational Leadership and Administration from The College of St. Rose. She also holds New York State Professional Certifications in School District Leadership, School Building Leadership, Special Education, and Childhood Education.
Please join us in welcoming Marie Culihan back to the Schenectady City School District team as she takes on this critical leadership role to support our schools, principals, and students.
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