Shaun M. Mason was named assistant superintendent of planning in accountability in August 2021.  Prior to that, he was working as the manager of school operations support for Baltimore City Public Schools since 2018.  He came to Schenectady with more than 20 years of educational leadership experience. 

Mason is detail-oriented and results-driven and has demonstrated success driving program design with a focus on strategic planning and change management.   He has an extraordinary skillset and vast experience monitoring and analyzing education data including climate, academic, attendance and the many areas that impact student achievement.  He also offers knowledge and experience with budget planning and preparation, leading and facilitating behavior intervention programs including restorative practice, and has served as a lead collaborator with school and district teams to develop, implement and monitor safety plans.   Mason has provided technical assistance to schools to resolve issues around transportation and to improve and support the delivery of instruction and climate programs. He has studied root causes of staff absenteeism and implemented strategies for improvement.  He is also knowledgeable and has been responsible for ensuring compliance with federal and state laws as well as implementation of board policies.  

Prior to working for Baltimore Public Schools, Mason served as principal at Good Shepherd Services, in which he oversaw program design, implementation and evaluation, including grant writing for Title I and Title II projects.  He was responsible for crafting curriculum and evaluating outcomes to ensure student needs were being met.  From 2012-2016, Mason worked as the coordinator of behavior services for the District Columbia Public Schools.  He provided technical support to schools with high populations of students with emotional disabilities and schools with behavioral challenges.  He successfully implemented plans, strategies, and protocols, leading to positive outcomes.  In 2008-2012, he worked as an assistant principal at District of Columbia Public Schools where attendance increased by 10% under his leadership.  He designed and implemented a number of engagement strategies, including the development and mentoring program for 6th grade male students called, “The Gentlemen’s Club.”   

As assistant superintendent of planning and accountability, Mason’s work focuses on using data and leadership development to close opportunity gaps and eliminate disproportionality at the school level.  He is responsible for analyzing performance measures using multiple sources of data and linking them to curriculum culturally responsible instruction, authentic assessments as well as providing oversight of federal and state accountability requirements related to the Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA) and other reporting requirements. Mason is a member of the superintendent's cabinet  and leads a team of administrators in the functions and responsibilities of the office of planning and accountability which include ensuring alignment between the district’s strategic plan and the schools comprehensive education plans through a lens of equity.  He provides leadership in the area of school improvement planning, administrative professional development and evaluation and oversight to central registration, technology, data, home instruction plans, grant program implementation, pre-kindergarten programming, assessment programs and the summer enrichment program.