Superintendent

“Write to make a blind man see and a deaf man hear.” These words from Bud Poliquin, columnist for the Post-Standard, inspired the 26 rising ninth grade students who attended the 3rd annual Writing Institute at Nottingham High School. Over the three- week program students kept a Writer’s Notebook, wrote and revised a personal narrative and created a digital movie to explore how writing affects the world.

The Summer Success Academy (SSA) was a five-week program at Onondaga Community College (OCC) created to prepare students to be more successful in college. The program took place from July 6 - August 10, 2012 and included 29 Syracuse City School District graduates who all intend to enroll at OCC in Fall 2012 as full-time Say Yes Scholars. Orientation was on July 6, 2012, followed by a team-building day at Orenda Springs on July 7th and classes/programming Monday-Friday from 8 AM – 5 PM July 9-August 10, 2012.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This letter is to inform you about the upcoming New York State Education Department Assessments. These assessments are required by NYSED and are used to evaluate school district performance as well as individual student performance. These assessments measure how well students have mastered the content and skills identified in the NYSED standards. Please save and reference these dates to ensure your child is well prepared to do their best on these assessments.

At the January Board of Education Business Meeting Superintendent Sharon Contreras recognized Corcoran High School’s National Honor Society as well as students who took part in a peer leadership program under the guidance of Ms. Squillace. The Superintendent also recognized Mentoring Coordinator Larry Williams for his recent accomplishment with Leadership Greater Syracuse.

A statement from Superintendent Sharon L. Contreras regarding the suspension of New York School Improvement Grant Funding:

We are extremely disappointed to learn that the New York State Education Department has suspended Syracuse’s School Improvement Grant funding. A loss of funding of this magnitude will have a devastating impact on our district, particularly those students and schools with the greatest needs. We believe that our district, in collaboration with the Syracuse Teachers Association and Syracuse Association of Administrators, has made significant progress in developing our evaluation systems for teachers and principals.

Superintendent Contreras spoke with Syracuse University Professor and WRVO radio host Grant Reeher on The Campbell Conversation about her first 100 Days as Superintendent of the Syracuse City Schools. The conversation covered issues such as her 100 Day entry plan, what she has been working on so far, and what is next for the SCSD.

You can listen to the entire interview on WRVO's website here

The Syracuse City School District’s Board of Education and the entire Syracuse community have charged Superintendent Contreras with improving student achievement and making the school district’s systems more effective and efficient. In an effort to successfully accomplish this mission the Superintendent embarked upon an ambitious 100 Day Entry Plan. The plan, now complete, will enable her to make informed short- and long-term decisions that are reflective of the community’s priorities and expectations and most importantly, in the best interest of Syracuse students.