New Principal Sought

For Cooperstown High

Michael Cring Reassigned To New Post

COOPERSTOWN – Cooperstown Junior/Senior High School will begin the search for a new principal as Michael Cring, principal for 20 years, becomes K-12 director of comprehensive student services, programs and athletics, it was announced today.

In this new role, Cring will assume some of the duties held since 2015 by Kristin Butler, the director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, who is returning to the classroom.  Cring will continue as athletic director, and also supervise the district’s technology department and special-education program.

“I look forward to collaborating with staff and the community to improve current programming and review potential for new initiatives,” Cring said in a press release.

Since no new administrative position is being created, the impact on the budget will not be significant, according to the release.

Hebert said the search with focus on all parts of New York State, looking for “a strong instructional leader  “to take a look at all the assets in the 7-12 continuum and keep us going on a positive trajectory.”

He district hopes to fill both principal positions – a process has been underway to replace Elementary Principal Teresa Gorman, who retired last year – by July 1, according to Superintendent of Schools C.J. Hebert.  “We’re going to be very busy,” he said.

Cring was born in Watertown and raised in Morristown, on the St. Lawrence River. He graduated from Morristown Central School and received his teaching degree from Springfield College in Massachusetts. He received a master’s degree from Syracuse University in exercise physiology and a second master’s degree and CAS from St. Lawrence University in educational administration.

Cring worked one year in Rome, Oneida County, as a health fitness Director at the YMCA.  He began his teaching career at his alma mater in Morristown, teaching phys-ed, was athletic director and coached basketball for seven years, joining CCS in 1996.