Roger P. Catania

Dr. Roger Catania served for eight years as Superintendent for the Lake Placid Central School District before his retirement in 2021 and his appointment to the Board of Regents in June of 2022.

During his long career in education Dr. Catania held positions as a teaching assistant, a coach, a social studies teacher, a school counselor, and as a college and university instructor teaching undergraduate and graduate education students. As Superintendent he led his district through the approval of 8 school budgets, 6 successful union contract agreements, a capital building project, and the 2020 closing and subsequent reopening of schools during the Covid pandemic.  Dr. Catania has committed his career to understanding and addressing the opportunity gap and its impact on the learning and life chances of children, especially those from poor and working class backgrounds.

Dr. Catania is a K-12 graduate of the Scarsdale public school system. He holds a BA in History from Binghamton University, an MA in Teaching from Manhattanville College, an MS in Counseling from Oregon State University, a C. A. S.  in Educational Leadership from Niagara University, and a Ph.D. in the Social Foundations of Education from The University of Virginia.  His scholarly interests include examining important questions regarding educational purpose, pedagogical innovation, school reform, social reform, and the impact of social inequality on children, families, and schooling. His scholarship and professional background inform his work, helping him to consider the ways theory meets practice and past meets present (and future).

Dr. Catania serves on the Board of the Essex County Prevention Team and the Educational Opportunity Fund for the Lake Placid Central School District. He also contributes to the Adirondack Birth-to-Three Alliance as a member of its steering committee.

Dr. Catania and his wife Amy live in Saranac Lake, NY where their sons Louis and James were born, raised, and graduated from the Saranac Lake Central School District.