Rome school board selects new superintendent

She is expected to assume leadership of the Rome school district upon successful negotiation of an employment contract and formal appointment by the Rome Board of Education. Her anticipated start date will be on or about July 1.

Board President Cassie Knutti said Anselme will bring her passion for students and a transformative leadership style to the Rome City School District.

“The board was impressed with the breadth of experience she has had in Rush-Henrietta and with the work she has done in critical areas like school safety, mental health and special education,” Knutti said. “We found her to be a compassionate, collaborative and strategic leader, and we are excited to have her join and lead the district.”

“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to join the Rome City School District and to serve this community,” Anselme said. “I believe that all students can achieve, and I place a strong emphasis on dismantling barriers that often hinder student potential. I enjoyed my time in Rome as part of the search process and I am eager to further develop those relationships to support students, staff, parents, and community members. I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.”

At Rush-Henrietta, Anselme successfully serves in a district similar to Rome, with nine schools, 5,400 students and 1,300 employees. She has been directly responsible for numerous key student-centered areas of the district’s operations, including district and school safety, student registration, special education, nursing services, mental health and wellness, English as a New Language programming, K-12 student discipline protocols, equity and inclusion, and social-emotional learning in one of the Rochester area’s largest and most diverse school districts.

Among her most prominent accomplishments is the implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework for English Language Learners at all schools within the district. After implementation, language acquisition has taken place at an expected or accelerated rate at all building levels.

Previously, Anselme served as Rush-Henrietta’s executive director of Student and Family Services from 2010 to 2013. She also spent nine years with the Gates Chili Central School District as a school counselor and as the district’s coordinator of Student Support Services.

Anselme holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology, a Master of Science degree in College and Agency Counseling, and two Certificates of Advanced Study – in School Counseling from SUNY Plattsburgh and in Educational Administration from SUNY Brockport.

She is multilingual and lives with her teenage son in suburban Rochester. Anselme is a member of many leadership organizations, including The Forum for Educational Leadership, Education Research & Development Institute, Women Leading Ed, and New York Association of Black School Educators.

In 2023, the New York State Association for Women in Administration selected Anselme as a recipient of its Phenomenal Women Award “for inspiring those within the educational leadership field and changing the landscape of education.”

The board’s selection of Anselme followed a thoughtful, six-month search process facilitated by Search Consultant Scott A. Budelmann, district superintendent and CEO of Madison-Oneida BOCES. The search process included feedback opportunities and multiple meetings with employee and community stakeholder groups, as well as extensive and thorough screenings and reference checks of the potential candidates.

Knutti said Anselme rose to the top of a highly qualified pool of applicants.

“The board was truly flattered by the interest in our community from so many exceptional educational leaders,” she said. “On behalf the board, I’d like to thank all the stakeholders and community members who participated in the process and helped us in making this decision.”