Amanda Purcell is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Catskill Board of Education has named Ronel Cook as its next superintendent, effective July 1. Cook is currently serving as deputy superintendent in the Poughkeepsie City School District. Cook’s 22-year career began as a classroom teacher in Poughkeepsie. He went on to serve as an assistant superintendent for human resources, director of personnel and principal in that district. Cook holds a doctorate in educational leadership, administration and policy from Fordham University and a certificate of advanced study, a master’s degree in educational technology and a bachelor’s degree in English from SUNY New Paltz. Cook said his first order of business will be to improve student performance in Catskill. “I was attracted to Catskill because it is a tight-knit school of about 1,500 students, its diversity and the challenge to help improve its schools and the district’s status,” he said. Cook will replace Annemarie Barkman, who has served as interim superintendent since 2015. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.