Saddle River Day School Welcomes New Upper School Head, Dr. Shai Zacaraev

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Upper School Head, Dr. Shai Zacaraev. Shai comes to us from the Dwight Englewood School where he has served as an Upper School Dean, acting as the advisor to the Class of 2023. In addition, he was highly involved in the advisory program and planning of grade level and schoolwide activities, scheduling, discipline and day to day activities in the Upper School. He also introduced new courses into the curriculum including Introduction to Quantum Algorithms and Web Security and Bug Bounty Programs. Prior to that, he served as the Upper School Academic Technology Chair for the St. Francis Episcopal School in Houston, TX. Before St. Francis, he was at The Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, NY as part of the technology leadership team in addition to teaching as an adjunct professor at College Now - Brooklyn College and St. Francis College also in Brooklyn.

Dr. Zacaraev holds a Doctorate in Education from The University of Pennsylvania, where he studied Educational and Organizational Leadership. He earned his Masters in Education from the Teachers College, Columbia University, Klingenstein Center in Independent School Leadership. His undergraduate degree is from Brooklyn College, City University of New York (CUNY) where he earned his M.A. and B.S. in Computer and Information Science with a minor in Business Management and extensive coursework in Finance and Chemistry.

Shai has been described as a “committed, infinitely curious, selfless, innovative educator and administrator who contributes wholeheartedly to the school’s mission.” In addition, he is “collaborative by nature with an all-in approach. A dynamic school leader, a student advocate, and a strong resource for families, Shai is an incredible talent.”

We look forward to welcoming Shai to our campus and the Saddle River Day family.