Welcoming Superintendent Dhara
Submitted by BCSD Communications
Berlin Central School District has welcomed Joseph Dhara as the new Superintendent over the month of February.
Mr. Dhara has had a busy start, attending district meetings and spending time at both school buildings, making decisions regarding sports activities and attending class fundraisers.
The students at the elementary school (BES) met Mr. Dhara during his first walk-through, with introductions from Principal Tracy Kent. The BES students greeted Mr. Dhara with excitement, and some classrooms prepared welcome presentations.
The young students were filled with excellent questions and shared some laughs with Mr. Dhara, who enjoyed his visit.
Mr. Dhara has also been walking the hallways of the middle/high school (BMHS) often in the company of BMHS Principal Jodi Sullivan or Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Charles Paravella.
One of Mr. Dhara’s focuses is on communicating with the students and staff. He invited students’ questions and gave them an opportunity to get to know more about his role as Superintendent.
Early this month, Mr. Dhara and his family attended the class of 2024 fundraiser, “Groundhog Dayzzz.” It was an excellent opportunity to spend time with BCSD families, community members, students and staff.
Sports have also been a focus for Mr. Dhara during his first weeks at BCSD: “We strongly support our students being able to participate in sports in a safe and responsible way.”
The decision to begin high-risk sports as intramurals is one he is working closely on with the Board of Education, Athletic Director Paravella, BCSD COVID Coordinator Michele Corsey, and the district’s medical directors.
Mr. Dhara now lives in the district and looks forward to getting to know and engage more with the BCSD community in the coming months.
Mr. Dhara comes to Berlin CSD from the Schenectady City School District where he served as the Assistant District Director of Human Resources and the Coordinator of Math, Science and Business. He was previously an Administrator and instructional coach in Syracuse and a middle school Principal in Ithaca. He also served as an Administrator in Cicero-North Syracuse, OCM BOCES, Cortland Junior-Senior High School and DeRuyter Central School District. He started his educational career as a Math teacher and department chair in Syracuse.
Learn more about Mr. Dhara in his own words
I am an Electrical Engineer by trade. Having obtained a Bachelor of Engineering from India and a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University, I worked in the field of Radio Frequency Engineering for a few years.
Subsequently, I worked as a Business developer and a Retail salesman before finding my calling in the field of Education. I have been in education for the past 17 years and am loving every moment of it.
I have a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from SUNY Empire State College and a Certificate of Advanced Studies (School Building and School District Leadership certificates) from Syracuse University. Currently, I am pursuing a PhD from Syracuse University in Teaching and Curriculum and also completing my School District Business Leadership certificate.
Something you may not know about me: While in college I worked at a fast-food place and made pizzas from dough to finished product. I still do that sometimes for my family.
I have been married for 17 years to my wife Robin, and we have two sons who are 12 and 13 years old. We love the outdoors and everything about it, from finding new places, to hiking on trails, and just being out in nature.
This includes traveling to different places so we can experience the outdoors in a different setting. But it is hard to beat Upstate New York for opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.
I love to spend time with my family, read (ancient history, science, technology and many other topics), grill and volunteer. I am a member of the Rotary Club and through them and various religious organizations I get the opportunities to volunteer. I truly believe that “The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others” – Mahatma Gandhi.
I also love playing soccer, tennis, frisbee and watching football (NFL).
Go Mountaineers!