Sharlow Selected as Next Superintendent

JUNE 2, 2023 — The Marcellus Central School District Board of Education is pleased to announce that Jean Sharlow has been selected as the new superintendent of schools. 

Sharlow currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, Data, and Assessment in the Marcellus Central School District. Pending the successful completion of contract negotiations, she is expected to begin her new position in Marcellus in the beginning of August.

After a rigorous search process, members of the Marcellus Board of Education unanimously selected Sharlow and will vote to approve her completed contract at an upcoming BOE meeting. Board President Mike McAuliff said the interview process was thorough, diligent and intense, and in the end, Sharlow stood out as “the best choice” for leading Marcellus schools into the future.

“Jean has been a great leader for us in Marcellus as an Assistant Superintendent but this is a different job with different responsibilities and we wanted to make sure we conducted a deliberative and thorough process to find our next Superintendent of Schools,” McAuliff said. “We started with 19 well qualified candidates, interviewed 11 in the first round and followed that up with two subsequent rounds where we narrowed the field down to three finalists. Given some of our transition within the leadership of the district, Jean's knowledge of the Marcellus School community and specific plans to move us forward made her the perfect choice to lead the district into the future.”

Sharlow was thrilled to be selected. She said the top priority moving forward is to create a warm, welcoming environment for students and families.

"I am excited for the opportunity to not only continue the great work we are doing here in Marcellus Schools, but also to find ways to expand and grow opportunities for our students,” Sharlow said.

Sharlow brings more than 20 years of experience in education to the role of Superintendent. She began her career as the Director of a Huntington Learning Center, and then spent 14 years in the Syracuse City School District as a high school English teacher and Literacy Coach. Sharlow then took the position as the District Data Coordinator at the Central New York Regional Information Center and supported Marcellus Schools with state data reporting, as well as data analysis work and data discussions with teams of teachers. Sharlow was hired by Marcellus Schools to be the Assistant Principal at Driver Middle School in 2016 and the Assistant Superintendent in 2019.

Sharlow grew up near Buffalo and attended the University of Rochester, where she received a B.A. in English and minored in Russian studies and language. She received her Masters degree in secondary education from Canisius College in Buffalo and her Education Leadership credentials from Syracuse University. 

Sharlow is married to Paul Sharlow, an attorney, and they have two sons, one in high school and another in college. The Sharlows reside in Pompey on a ten acre farm and spend much of their free time working on restorations to their 1880 farmhouse and barn. 

Sharlow will replace Michelle Brantner, who has been with the district since 2016. Brantner previously announced she would be retiring from the district this summer.

"I am grateful to have been a part of Michelle Brantner's administrative team these past seven years,” Sharlow said. “Her leadership and mentorship has been incredibly valuable to all of us and has given me the skills and confidence to take on this top leadership role in the district."

The Marcellus Board of Education launched a nationwide search for a new superintendent in January with assistance from Matt Cook, Ed.D., District Superintendent of the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison (OCM) BOCES. The confidential search included a community and staff survey that helped the Board of Education establish priorities for the desired qualities in a suitable candidate.

Members of the Board of Education would like to thank everyone in the district and in the Marcellus community for their patience, support and input into this important decision.

“We invite you to please join us in supporting Mrs. Sharlow as our school community begins this new chapter for Marcellus schools,” McAuliff said.