WEEK ENDING December 15, 2023| VOLUME 3 ISSUE NO. 16

Good afternoon,

I'm going to start today's brief by saying "thank you" to all who attended "Schenectady's Right to Read" event on Monday evening. More than a hundred representatives of community groups and agencies were present to watch the "The Right to Read" documentary and learn more about the literacy crisis and how everyone can help. Jeff Smink,Interim Executive Director for the Education Trust-New York, gave a compelling presentation by outlining frightening facts about literacy rates for both children and adults. He pointed out that in New York State less than half of all third graders can read proficiently and that the number is much lower in upstate cities and for students of color and from low income backgrounds. We can relate to those facts right here in our own community.

The documentary and conversation around reading focuses heavily on the the approach to teaching and helping students learn to read and comprehend. Reading advocates say one of the reasons students struggle to read is because schools are not using the science of reading, including teaching phonics, and that it's important for schools to embrace effective methods to try to catch students up so that they read at grade level, especially after the impact of the pandemic.

It's important for you to know that, we, as a district, have made recent changes and are committed to an evidence-based approach to teaching reading in our schools. And while our reading curriculum is supported by the science of reading, the work must go much further.... inside and beyond the school walls. As a community, we must be in this together.

Journalist Emily Hanford, who investigated and reported on the national literacy crisis, said, "we have a lot of people who struggle to read. Why aren't we screaming about it?"

It's worth noting that adults who struggle to read are more likely to be unemployed or imprisoned.

This event held on Monday was an official call to action. We are striving to get your attention and are asking for your help.

I am grateful to our many partners who already volunteer their time and embrace the opportunity to work with our district to support our students. As you know, the impact of your efforts makes a difference and can be very rewarding. Thank you to those who attended Monday evening and are committed to joining our efforts. We've already heard from many who have offered resources and support. We appreciate and look forward to working with you. There is so much more to come. #schenectadyrising

Thank you to the members of the Office of Teaching and Learning for planning this fantastic event that brought our community together to learn more about this crisis with an effort to move forward in collaboration. This only makes our community stronger. Let's continue the work to make a difference.

MBK representing at Schenectady's Right to Read event

Thank you to members of My Brothers Keeper (MBK) for representing at the Schenectady's Right to Read event.

We had a great morning. Earlier today, I had the great honor of surprising Colleen Keough with the announcement that she our 2024 Teacher of the Year. It was such a joy to share this news with her along with her students, family and colleagues. I know many of you know Ms. Keough. For those of you who don't, she is a 2nd grade teacher at Hamilton. She's been teaching in our district since 2008. She began her career at Paige, where she taught for three years and for the last 12 years has been a teacher at Hamilton. Ms. Keough is a member of many committees and is a mentor leader at Hamilton. She is also co-chair of the PTO. From all accounts, she is an extraordinary educator who cares deeply about her students and has a made a difference in many, many lives. She's an advocate and a cheerleader for her students and their families. We are better because of teachers like Ms. Keough. Several of her colleagues, students, and their parents wrote nominating letters raving about Ms. Keough. We are fortunate and grateful to Ms. Keough for everything she does for our students and school community. She is now eligible to enter the New York State Teacher of the Year Program. Congratulations Ms. Keough.

Teacher of the year group photo with students and family

Congratulations to Simone Miranda, Assistant Director of Innovation, Equity and Engagement, who this week was named the Network for Youth Success Champion Award recipient. This award recognizes exemplar advocacy efforts to champion high-quality after school, summer, and other expanded learning opportunities.

The New York State Network for Youth Success noted Simone's leadership and work with our after school and summer programs and successful implementation of project-based learning in the school's 21st Century After school Program. She also continues to rally students, families, and educators to amplify the importance of after school programming and has participated as a panelist for the Network's Power of 3:00 Webinar Series. She will be recognized at "Schools Out, Make it Count" Annual Conference in April. Please join me in congratulating Simone.

Congratulations to Schenectady High School Senior, JROTC cadet, and pilot Alyssa Cook who was appointed as a Cadet in the U.S. Coast Guard Academy this week. In October, I shared that Alyssa earned a private pilot's license and was granted a flight certification badge. At the time, she was selected as one of 300 pilots to participate in the Flight Academy at Washington State. Alyssa is a remarkable young woman and we are very proud.

Photo of Alyssa Cooks, certificate for appointment to Coast Guard

Please don't forget to complete the Strategic Planning survey which will be open through the end of this month. Your thoughts and ideas are important.

You can also still register for a focus group. Focus groups will be held in January. See the flyer below for dates and times. You can sign up by clicking here.

Congratulations to our Schenectady High School students who were recognized by the YMCA Black and Latino Achievers program on Thursday night in Albany. The Capital District YMCA Black and Latino Achievers Program is a unique college and career exploration program for grades 9 -12.

students honored as black and latino achievers

If your child is an 8th grader and you haven't attended one of our information sessions, please attend on December 19, 6 p.m. at Schenectady High School. In these sessions, you will learn about the Freshman Academy, the Schenectady High School Leadership Communities, the many programs and opportunities, and how we work to help students make a smooth transition from middle to high school. Dinner will be served at the information session. We hope to see you there.

Please remember that we have school-based food pantries at all of our elementary schools, Mont Pleasant Middle School, and Schenectady High School. If your child's school does not have a food pantry, please utilize the closest school to you. If you anticipate you will need food over the upcoming break, please contact your school's parent liaison to access this service and pick up food in advance.

We've had some questions about the guidance, protocols and reporting of COVID-19. An updated outline of what to do if you are exposed, have symptoms, or test positive is posted online here. Parents should continue to report positive cases to your school's health office.

A Board of Education Work Session will be held on Wednesday, December 20 in the Mont Pleasant Middle School Schenectady Room. Presentations will cover Instructional and Information Technology and Big Picture Schenectady. The meeting will also be live-streamed. The link will be posted on Boarddocs.

Have a great weekend,

Anibal Soler, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools

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