School superintendent announces retirement

After fifteen years as superintendent, Elaine Pinckney announced this week her upcoming retirement from the Champlain Valley School District (CVSD)  in June 2021.

“I am very grateful for having had the privilege to serve such a forward-thinking organization, one in which lifelong learning and a focus on personal and institutional growth are at the core,” she wrote in her letter to the CVSD school board. “I was drawn to this vision from the start and continue to be inspired by it to this day. Over the years, I have been enormously blessed to work with passionate, dedicated board members, outstanding administrators, and a top-notch faculty and staff.”

CVSD is the largest school district in the state; her final year as superintendent is already proving to be challenging, with school districts across the state scrambling to come up with plans for the upcoming school year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pinckney assured the school board she is ready to lead the district through the uncertainty of the next school year. She said she will share regular newsletters and updates, work collaboratively with the district and school leadership teams, visit schools and reach out to the community for input and feedback. She said, “I look forward to serving CVSD and its member communities during this final year. I am still energized by the work and continue to be inspired by my colleagues. 2020-2021 will not be without its challenges, but if past history is any indicator, we will figure it out together and work collaboratively to ensure the best possible outcome.”

Elaine has served as a trustee for the Vermont Superintendents Association, a member of the American Association of School Administrators Governing Board, a member of the Governing Board for the Northeast and Islands Regional Education Lab, District Management Group Superintendent Strategy Summit member, and on the board of directors of the Stern Center. She previously served as Vermont’s deputy commissioner of education and was a principal in Morrisville, Stowe, and Williston.

The board will begin a search process immediately.