SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH
Dear North Caldwell Community,
As many of you know, Dr. Linda Freda has announced her retirement, effective August 2025, after 23 years of dedicated service to our district and 38 years in education. Her leadership has been instrumental in shaping the strong educational foundation that North Caldwell is known for today. She has guided our district with integrity, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to our students. While we will certainly miss her leadership, the Board is committed to ensuring a smooth and thoughtful transition as we begin the search for our next Superintendent.
At this week’s Board meeting, we took an important step in that process by hiring Kathleen Helewa Educational Consultants to assist with the Superintendent search. Ms. Helewa has led over 30 Superintendent searches across New Jersey, bringing decades of experience that will be invaluable as we move through this process.
The Board is committed to transparency and community involvement. We understand that selecting a new Superintendent is a significant decision that impacts our students, families, and staff, and we want to ensure that all voices are heard. To that end, we will be launching a community wide survey to gather input on the qualities and priorities that matter most to you in a Superintendent and for our district’s future.
In addition to the survey, we will be holding in person sessions for parents and community members to share their perspectives, as well as sessions for teachers, staff, and administrators to ensure that we are considering insights from those who work most closely with our students each day. Dates for these sessions will be shared soon.
To keep everyone informed throughout this process, the Board will also be updating NCBOE.org with a dedicated section on the Superintendent search. This will serve as a central location where the community can access regular updates, key dates, and progress reports as we move forward.
North Caldwell has a long-standing reputation for excellence, collaboration, and a strong commitment to student success, values that Dr. Freda has helped strengthen throughout her career. As we begin this next chapter, we remain focused on finding a leader who will continue this tradition and build upon the outstanding foundation Dr. Freda has set.
Thank you for your support and engagement as we take this important step together. We look forward to working with you in the months ahead.
Best regards,
David Ved
President, North Caldwell Board of Education
Updates
David Blackowski
The new Superintendent of the North Caldwell Public Schools has been Selected.
Dear North Caldwell Families,
On behalf of the Board of Education, I am pleased to share that the Board intends to appoint Mr. Chris Checchetto as the next Superintendent of North Caldwell Public Schools, effective September 1, 2025, pending formal approval at our May 29th public meeting.
Mr. Checchetto is a familiar and respected leader in our community, having served as Principal of Gould School for the past 17 years. During that time, he has helped cultivate a school culture defined by collaboration, innovation, and student-focused growth. His leadership played a key role in Gould being named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, and his commitment to building strong relationships with students and families has earned the trust and admiration of so many in our district.
Chris brings a deep understanding of North Caldwell’s values and priorities. His experience in curriculum development, strategic planning, teacher development, budgeting, and data-driven leadership, combined with his long-standing dedication to our district, made him an exceptionally strong candidate.
This decision follows a comprehensive and competitive search process, during which we received 52 applications from highly qualified educational leaders. That level of interest speaks to the strength and reputation of North Caldwell as a district and is a reflection of the community that has been built through the involvement and support of families like yours.
I want to extend my sincere thanks to my fellow Board members : Sapna Malige, Eric Finkelstein, Matthew Whitford, Michael Digorolomo, and Board Secretary Michael Halik, for the incredible time and dedication they gave to this process. Over the past month, we met for hours on end, many nights going well past 10:30 or 11:00 p.m., reviewing candidates, conducting interviews, and balancing these responsibilities with work, family, and personal commitments. We committed to this process with one clear goal: to complete a thorough search and provide clarity to families before the end of the school year.
To our community, thank you. Your input through the survey and the community input sessions helped shape our thinking and reinforced what makes North Caldwell such a special place for children to grow and learn. As we look ahead, we are confident that Mr. Checchetto’s deep roots in North Caldwell and his thoughtful, student-centered leadership will carry our district forward and build upon the strong foundation established by Dr. Freda.
We appreciate your continued support
Sincerely,
David Ved
President, North Caldwell Board of Education
David Blackowski
Dear North Caldwell Families, Staff and Community Members,
Thank you for your participation in the superintendent search process. Your feedback through the survey and in person input sessions has been a valuable part of shaping the Board’s direction.
At our April 9 meeting, the Board reviewed all submitted applications with our search consultant. We received 52 applications from highly qualified candidates, a strong reflection of the reputation and appeal of our district, made possible by the partnership between our Families, NCPE, Teachers, and the broader community.
Guided by the input we received, the Board selected (10) candidates to move forward to first-round interviews. These will be held in closed sessions on Tuesday, April 29 and Thursday, May 1, with additional rounds planned in May.
We appreciate your continued support and will keep you informed as the process moves ahead.
Sincerely,
David Ved
President, North Caldwell Board of Education
David Blackowski
- As of the close of the application window on April 4, fifty-two candidates who met the requirements of the Board have applied for the position of Superintendent: nine Superintendents, ten Assistant Superintendents, six candidates in school district Director-level positions, twenty school principals, and seven candidates who hold other professional positions. Twenty-seven of the candidates have earned doctorates.
To see the full candidate pool report, please visit: https://www.khelewaconsulting.com/north-caldwell-superintendent-candidates-pool-report
The North Caldwell Board of Education will convene in executive session during its meeting on the evening of April 9 to examine each of the candidates' qualifications and to determine who will be selected for first-round interviews, using the insights gained from the online survey and the in-person school stakeholder input sessions that were conducted over the past few weeks. A profound thank you to those who gave their time and offered their thoughts in the survey, and who participated in the input sessions! Your input is extremely valuable.
Please continue to check this page for updates as the North Caldwell BOE moves through the search process. We appreciate your support during this crucial endeavor.
David Blackowski
Dear North Caldwell Families and Community Members,
This message follows up on last week’s email about the search for our next Superintendent. As the process continues, the North Caldwell Board of Education remains committed to hearing from all members of our community. Your input is essential to ensuring we find the right leader to carry our district forward.
|
A Message from the North Caldwell School District
|
|
Dear North Caldwell Families and Community Members, This message follows up on last week’s email about the search for our next Superintendent. As the process continues, the North Caldwell Board of Education remains committed to hearing from all members of our community. Your input is essential to ensuring we find the right leader to carry our district forward. To help gather that input, Kathleen Helewa Educational Consultants, the firm assisting with the search, will be offering two opportunities for parents, families, and community members to share their perspectives:
https://ncboe.zoom.us/j/95067981401?pwd=bObnNZwm8lY9YxbsfrHiv4GJaUgdcq.1
Both sessions will include an overview of the search process and time for participants to provide feedback on what qualities, values, and leadership priorities are most important for our next superintendent. We also encourage everyone to complete a short, phone-friendly online survey provided by Kathleen Helewa Educational Consultants. It includes both multiple-choice and open ended questions to give you a chance to share what you believe matters most for the future of our schools. Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SDNXQC6 
Thank you for taking the time to participate and for continuing to be engaged in the future of North Caldwell’s Schools. Sincerely, David Ved |
David Blackowski
We will continue to update this page with the latest news and communications during this process regarding our Superintendent Search at North Caldwell Public Schools