George Szymanski

Associate     
gszymanski@cambridgestrategics.com
Office: 800-343-4590

George Szymanski is an Associate with Cambridge Strategic Services. He conducts training and facilitates strategic plans nationally for educational organizations. Dr. Szymanski is an accomplished professional with thirty-nine years of teaching and administrative experience in public education K-12 and higher education. Dr. Szymanski also serves as an Executive Coach for new superintendents, executive directors and building principals. He has held a variety of highly visible and progressively responsible positions in three public school districts and a private university.

For eighteen years (1969-1987), Dr. Szymanski served the North Allegheny School District, an upper middle class, suburban school district educating over 7000 students. Beginning as a middle school mathematics teacher, he rose to the positions of Assistant Superintendent of Staff and Personnel Services and Acting Superintendent.

In 1987, Dr. Szymanski accepted the superintendency of South Side Area School District, a rural Beaver County School District with an enrollment of 1400 students. During his tenure (1987-1993), South Side Area became recognized for inclusion of special education students, mastery learning, whole language programs and authentic student assessments. The district accepted over $500,000 of funding from private foundations and competitive grants for special projects to improve student learning.

Dr. Szymanski became superintendent of the Pine-Richland School District in 1993. With an enrollment of 3200 students, Pine-Richland was the fastest growing school district in Allegheny County for five consecutive years. The school district became known for high student achievement, outstanding instruction, special education services, quality processes, beautiful facilities and community involvement in the schools. In 1995, Pine-Richland was the first public school district ever recognized by the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce with a Serious Commitment Award for Quality.

Dr. Szymanski was an Executive Faculty member and Co-Director of the Leadership Institute in the School of Education at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Invited to join the faculty at Duquesne University in July, 1999, Dr. Szymanski taught in the graduate and undergraduate programs and supported the Dean’s Office until June, 2008. His responsibilities have included supervising the areas of recruitment, admissions, undergraduate advisement, student teaching, career services, alumni affairs, graduate admissions and Professional Development Schools for the School of Education. His final assignment was leading the Duquesne Superintendent’s Research Collaborative which provided research support for school districts and venues of scholarship for higher education faculty. The faculty completed research identified by the superintendents and they coauthored the findings in appropriate publications and presentations to become “public intellectuals” and participate in the national conversations on the various research topics.

A lifelong resident of western Pennsylvania, Dr. Szymanski holds a B.S. in secondary education and a M.ED. in guidance and counseling from Slippery Rock University. He earned a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Szymanski is the author of chapters and articles on the topics of professional learning communities, professional development schools, labor relations, communications and strategic planning. A frequent presenter and trainer at the intermediate unit, state and national levels, his expertise includes collective bargaining, instructional skills, strategic planning, quality processes, developing learning communities, leading and organization design and development.

He is a member of the Pennsylvania and American Associations of School Administrators and a charter member of the National Professional Development Schools Association. Listed in 2000 Outstanding People of the 20th Century, Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in International Education, Who’s Who in American Education and Who’s Who in Executives and Businesses, he was also honored as one of Executive Educator’s “The 100 Executive Educator’s to Watch.” He serves as a director of several local nonprofit organizations and is also president of The Fisherman’s Cove Preservation Foundation.

Dr. Szymanski is married to Sharon Linn. They have two grown children, Stacey and Scott.