Region 13 Schools Hire New Superintendent

DURHAM, CT — Region 13 has named Dr. Doug Schuch as its new superintendent. He will start the job Jan. 28.

Shuch joins the regional school district representing Durham and Middlefield from Virginia, where he has been superintendent of Bedford County Public Schools since 2009. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and has a long history of administrative and classroom experience, including significant time as a central office administrator, assistant principal, and science teacher before becoming superintendent.

"I am pleased to welcome Dr. Schuch to the Region 13 community," Robert Moore, chairman of the Board of Education, said in a statement. "Dr. Schuch brings a philosophy of education consistent with our strategic coherence plan and continuity to the direction of our focus on the individual student learner, integration of the arts, and the development of a global citizen. He is full of energy and enthusiasm and skilled to maintain our ongoing challenge with COVID-19."

Schuch will replace Superintendent Kathryn Serino, who is retiring in December.

"I am humbled and honored to be selected to serve the learners, families, and employees of Region 13, as well as the communities of Durham and Middlefield as the next superintendent of schools," Schuch said in a statement. "The Region 13 Board of Education is clearly committed to doing whatever it takes to empower learners to thrive and contribute to our world as global citizens, and I am excited to join them and the employees of Region 13 in this most noble endeavor."

Schuch earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Duke University, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Education Leadership, also from George Mason.

The search for the new superintendent was facilitated by consultants from Trumbull-based Cooperative Educational Services (CES) and The Bryan Group.

After creating a leadership profile and specific selection criteria based on results of a multitude of feedback sources, including a constituent survey and community focus groups, the team of consultants employed an advanced interview protocol to identify candidates most qualified to lead the district. Measurable performance criteria from the interviews and other analysis were used as the basis of recommendations to the school board’s search committee. Schuch was chosen from a pool of 18 applicants.