A Morristown woman on Tuesday was appoinited to the New York State Board of Regents Fourth District, which goes from St. Lawrence County east to Clinton County and south to Schenectady.

Beverly Ouderkirk currently serves on the Morristown Central School Board of Education and has a lifetime of educational experience at various levels under her belt.

She has served as interim or full-time superintendent at Clifton-Fine, Brushton-Moira, St. Regis Falls, Morristown, Valley, and Tioga Central School Districts as well as Superintendent of the Genesee, Livingston, Steuben, and Wyoming BOCES. Ouderkirk has also worked as a kindergarten and elementary school teacher, elementary principal, and director of elementary education.

“Ouderkirk brings more than 50 years of experience in education to the table,” said Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, who nominated Ouderkirk for the position.

“Her election will ensure residents in the North Country are well served by the Board of Regents, and will help formulate positive change as our state moves through a tumultuous time in education,” she added.

“Both her years of service and her deep understanding of the specific challenges facing education in the North Country make Beverly a uniquely qualified candidate for the Board of Regents,” Russell said.

One of St. Lawrence County’s state representatives released a statement on Monday saying he thinks the state needs to change the process of appointing Regent board members.

Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, says the decision should be left to individual legislative chambers, not the entire governing body.

“The voters should be the ones to select who oversees what happens within their schools,” Griffo said. “Because the state legislature as a whole will elect on Tuesday seven Regents to the 17-member board, that means the Assembly Democratic majority votes will control this ‘sham’ process – a shutout to those voters who elected members of the Senate to also represent their interests.”

Griffo says there is a bill pending in the Senate that would create a 10-member Commission on Regents Nominations. The Governor, as well as leaders in both the Senate and the Assembly would appoint the commission. It will evaluate candidates for the Board of Regents and then make recommendations to the Governor. The Governor would then choose from those recommendations so that both bodies of the state Legislature can ultimately vote on them.

“It is also time to consider limiting how many years any Regents member can stay on the board,” Griffo said. “With the disastrous stumble of Common Core in recent years, it is clear that the Board of Regents needs a wake-up call. It is time for the Regents to realize that they are not an island unto themselves.”

Russell represents the 116th Assembly District, the so-called “River District.” It includes all communities in St. Lawrence County along the St. Lawrence River, from Massena to Hammond. It extends to parts of Jefferson County, including Watertown.

Griffo’s 47th Senate District covers north-south swathe through the middle of St. Lawrence County, from Massena to Fine, including Potsdam. It extends into Lewis and Oneida counties.