District News

Students from the Syracuse City School District spent a week at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse attending workshops with members of the Diavolo Dance Theater. The dance group was in residency through the Office of the Arts of Syracuse University.

At the end of the residency, the participants performed at the Landmark for an audience that included more than 700 students from the Syracuse City School District, family, friends and SCSD staff.

Several cadets in the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) program at Fowler High School were honored recently at a ceremony at the school.

Students in the program went through their annual Pass in Review, an inspection conducted by Commander Joe Hankins, before they were given their awards. Hankins traveled from Philadelphia to take part in the program at the school.

Principal Jim Palumbo said the program has been in existence at Fowler for four years. He said there are several dozen students who participate.

Superintendent Sharon L. Contreras recently honored over 300 school volunteers from the Syracuse community at a Volunteer Recognition Luncheon. The honorees were recognized for their continued support of the school district through their volunteerism. The volunteers graciously give of their time and talents for the betterment of the students in the Syracuse City School District.

The Syracuse City School District is committed to dramatically improving student educational outcomes and has launched a Strategic Planning process. The planning process which will conclude in May will outline actions for dramatic district improvement, including specific school- and district-level goals. The strategic plan will address: human capital strategies, improved teaching and learning strategies, improved curriculum and instruction strategies, teacher and leader evaluation and compensation processes, family and community engagement and communications plans.

The Strategic Plan will be a visionary document aligned to the district’s transformation agenda and includes input from the Core Planning Team. This team will be responsible for making recommendations to the Superintendent on the plan’s content. Members of the Core Planning Team represent a diverse range of stakeholders, including parents, representatives from higher education, teacher and administrator unions, the district central office, community-based organizations, and the ministerial and business communities. The team will meet six times from March through May to determine a vision and goals for the district, develop strategies to meet the goals, and craft an accountability plan to monitor implementation over a five-year time period. The School Turnaround Group (STG) at Mass Insight Education will facilitate the strategic planning process and draft language that reflects the input of all stakeholders.