The Board of Education has appointed Brett Fortran to the principal position at Chatham Middle School, effective September 1. Mr. Fortran is a familiar face to the Chatham Central School District, as he has served as Mary E. Dardess Elementary School’s assistant principal for the past four years. He makes the move to the Middle School alongside our incoming sixth grade class who, along with our current seventh and eighth grade classes, he had the pleasure of getting to know and work with while at MED.
“I am excited and humbled by this opportunity and the confidence the administrative team, the interview committee, and school community has placed in me. I look forward to continuing to foster relationships with our students and families in Chatham.”
Fortran holds NYS certification as a School Building Leader and earned his Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He also holds a master’s degree in special education from the College of St. Rose and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the State University at Albany. He has over 16 years’ experience as an educator. Before coming to Chatham, he was the associate principal for the Berkshire Junior-Senior High School in Canaan, where he also served as the day program coordinator and chaired the school’s Committee on Special Education, and earlier, worked as a social studies and special education teacher. Prior to that, he taught special education at St. Colman’s Home in Watervliet.
The Board approved Fortran’s appointment on August 30, 2022 to replace outgoing CMS principal Mike Burns, who departed Chatham to accept a position with the Questar III BOCES.