As Superintendent, I supervise and lead 39 schools serving families residing within the district spanning across Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, and Inwood.  Grade bands include 3K- 12th grades.  My team and I are committed to providing a high-quality education to all of our children.  We believe in engaging the trifecta; Family, Student, and Community; to effectively and positively impact student’s academic achievement.  As such we are connecting with scholastic stakeholders to offer them a seat at the table and include their feedback in our district’s strategic planning. 

The “90/90/90 Schools” have the following characteristics: more than 90 percent of the students are eligible for free and reduced lunch, a commonly used surrogate for low-income families, more than 90 percent of the students are ethnic minorities, and more than 90 percent of the students met or achieved high academic standards, according to independently conducted tests of academic achievement.  There are five characteristics that were common to all “90/90/90 Schools” including a focus on academic achievement, clear curriculum choices, frequent assessment of student progress and multiple opportunities for improvement, an emphasis on writing, and external scoring.  The Framework for Great Schools is the primary way the Department of Education partners with our schools. At the center of the Framework is student achievement. The core goal of education is to help students get to the next level and succeed. Surrounding that core are the three elements of student support: instructional guidance, teacher empowerment, and student-centered learning. Beyond the classroom, we need effective school leadership and strong parent-community collaboration. The element that ties all of these supports together is trust. Building trust across the system and within a school—between administrators, educators, students, and families—is the foundation of the Framework for Great Schools.

Our current focus is transitioning all of our parent facing events and initiatives to the virtual setting with the integration of new topics to serve parent needs during remote learning with constant adjustment to better serve our families.  Currently tuition free adult education classes are being offered virtually to prevent a gap of services to any NYC residents 21 and over without a H.S. equivalency or diploma.  Districtwide initiatives include but are not limited to the Summer Parent Academy (SPA) and Wellness Initiative Now 6 (WIN 6).  SPA was strategically planned by compiling survey responses, parent 311 escalations, and feedback from school staff as well as community and parent leaders.  Our annual cycle of workshops is tailored to the needs of our school community with a goal to equip parents with tools and resources to navigate and advocate for their children within the NYC DOE educational system.  Held for the past 5 years with a focus on building the capacity of parent leaders.  WIN 6 is an initiative that aims to increase awareness of positive health behaviors and resources while empowering community schools to provide activities and host wellness events that benefit the community. WIN 6 focuses on the three general pillars of wellness; physical activity, health education, and mental wellness.