WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. May 8, 2013:

Timothy Connors, former Superintendent of Schools for the city of White Plains from 2002 to 2009, signed an interim contract with the district Tuesday to serve for one year as Interim Superintendent while the district searches for a new one.

Mr. Connors will be paid $258,000 for the year, with 30 days of paid vacation; a $500 a month car allowance and $100 per month "to defray the cost of his use of his personal Smartphone in the performance of his job duties. Connors salary is $31,000 more than what the Board is paying Dr. Christopher Clouet, the present superintendent leaving the district to become Superintendent of the Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns.

Previously the White Plains School Board had elected not to renegotiate Dr. Clouet's contract in view of the Tarrytown offer since Clouet was under contract to White Plains for two more years.

The money the district authorized Monday evening to bring back Mr. Connors is $5,000 more than what the Tarrytowns will be paying Dr. Clouet in the first year of Dr. Clouet's new contract ($253,000). Mr. Connors also earns a $39,000 pension from New York State from his White Plains retirement which meets approximately what Mr. Connors was earning in the district in 2009 ($297,000).

Connors is the highest paid public official in White Plains by over $100,000.

The new Interim Superintendent's contract is for one year, and the school board must advise him six months before July 1, 2014 if they want to renew is contract for another year, but the contract does not automatically extend if he is not notified by the district.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. MAY 7, 2013:

Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education told WPCNR this morning that the Board of Education approved a contract with former Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors ( who served as Superintendent 2002-2009), to serve as Interim Superintendent beginning July 1, while the district searched for a new superintendent.

Terms of the contract will not be disclosed until Mr. Connors signs the contract, Ms. Schoenfeld said, which is expected to happen tomorrow.

Ms. Schoenfeld also reported that  John Orcutt was hired as an Assistant Principal at White Plains High School.

She said that no members of the community filed petitions to run for the two positions open on the school board, so Charles Norris and Sheryl Brady, incumbents whose terms are up are running for reelection unopposed.

The 2011-12 school year Report Card for White Plains was published today on the White Plains Schools website, the day after all report cards for public schools across the state were released by the New York State Education Department. The report can be reviewed at  http://www.wpcsd.k12.ny.us

White students at all levels still score significantly higher last year than black and Latinos across all levels. The Black-African-American population has improved their performance drawing even with the Hispanic-Latino achievement levels.

Departing Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Clouet  in an exclusive interview with WPCNR this morning said

“All districts in the state of New York that have diverse populations continue to face challenges with  students who are English Language Learners, as well as students with disabilities. That’s where we have our biggest challenges.

“Clearly there is room for improvement, and it’s also true there is a lot of learning going on for all of our students, including ELL (English Language Learners) and students with disabilities that is not reflected in the test scores.”

WPCNR WESTCHESTER LAW JOURNAL. From the Office of the Westchester County District Attorney. April 30. 2013:

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Allison Risoli DOB (04/24/60) of 1670 Westchester Avenue, Peekskill, was arraigned Monday on a Felony Complaint charging her with:

• two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, class “E” Felonies.

Between January 24, 2013, and January 31, 2013, the defendant, the Chair of the Social Studies Department of Peekskill High School located at 1031 Elm Street in Peekskill, altered the answer sheets for two separate Regents examinations.

The answers altered were on the United States History and Government Regents Examination and the Global History and Geography Regents Examination.

The defendant, as the Chair of the Social Studies Department, is responsible for delivering completed Regents examinations to the Peekskill City School District Data Analyst. The Data Analyst, whose office is in the Peekskill City School District Administration Building, is responsible for scanning and submitting completed examinations to the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center (LHRIC), a subset of the Southern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services, for official scoring and filing with the State of New York.

Several days after defendant delivered to the Data Analyst the original answer sheets for the above-referenced Regents exams and after the Data Analyst scanned and submitted the examinations to LHRIC, defendant returned to the Data Analyst’s Office and indicated there was a problem with a few students’ answer sheets.

The defendant “reviewed” the original answer sheets while in the office. After “reviewing” the answer sheets in the Data Analyst’s office, defendant returned the answer sheets to the Data Analyst. 

A subsequent check of the original answer sheets that previously had been scanned and submitted to LHRIC and the answer sheets that defendant “reviewed” and handed back to the Data Analyst show defendant altered two of the answer sheets.

Specifically on both answer sheets the defendant marked the incorrect answer with an “X” and filled in the correct answer. 

The defendant’s alterations gave each of the students a passing score.

The defendant was releases on her own recognizance.

The defendant’s next court date is June 3rd, 2013.

She faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison on each count.

Assistant District Attorney Shara Abraham of the Public Integrity Bureau is prosecuting the case.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. Special to WPCNR From the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. April 19, 2013:

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced Thursday that it has entered into a resolution agreement with the White Plains, N.Y., Public Schools. The agreement commits the district to ensuring that all students, including African American, Hispanic and English Language Learner (ELL) students, are provided with equal opportunity and equal access to challenging classes and programs that will put students on a pathway for success in college and careers.

(Editor's note: At no time before yesterday did the Board of Education ever announce publicly the district was under scrutiny by the Office of Civil Rights. Several Board members recently have made public statements about the need to focus on the brighter students in the district as well as those not doing as well.)

Under the agreement, the district will, as necessary:

• Expand criteria to determine eligibility and selection for enrollment in programs and courses.
• Expand student, parent, and community outreach about the available courses and programs; and
• Make improvements to the academic counseling services at the middle and high school levels and training for relevant district and school site administrators and personnel.

These changes will be based on recommendations from an expert consultant, feedback from students, parents and staff, and a comprehensive self-assessment.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. April 17, 2013:

Amid reports that dozens of students in Rockland County and Putnam County had boycotted state required assessment tests being administered this week in grades 3 through 8, White Plains today reported only student missed their test.

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Jessica O'Donovan issued this statement to WPCNR today: "I’m only aware of one student whose parent raised a concern, so he came late today, but will take a make-up."

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. April 11, 2013:

The White Plains City School District completed an 81-Day Independent Contractor Services Agreement with Timothy Connors, the district former Superintendent of Schools from 2002 through 2009 Wednesday night when Rosemarie Eller, the President of the Board of Education, signed a contract to bring in Mr. Connors.

An additional expected contract with Mr. Connors to serve as Interim Superintendent of Schools beginning July 1, while the district searches for a new Superintendent of Schools to replace Dr. Christopher Clouet,  (leaving as of July 1 to become the Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns Superintendent of Schools), has not been completed with Mr. Connors yet, according to the Clerk to the Board of Education, Michele Schoenfeld.

According to the contract just signed, Mr. Connors, in his services from now until the end of the school year in June will "Conduct/Participate in Union negotiations; participate in meetings to lay out a process for the screening and interviewing of candidates for key District positions; conduct interviews for finalists; meet with Middle School Redesign leaders to ensure smooth transition, and additional transitional assignments/projects as requested by the School District's Board of Education."

Mr. Connors will be paid at the rate of $1,200 a day for each full day (prorated for partial day). He will not be reimbursed for any expenses he incurs in executing his per day duties.

Dr. Clouet remains as Superintendent of Schools in the district through June 30.

At this time there is no timetable as to when the Interim Superintendent contract is expected to be completed, according to Schoenfeld.

During his two years as Interim Superintendent of Schools in Hastings-on-Hudson, Eileen Baecher, President of the Hastings Board of Education told WPCNR,that when Mr Connors was hired in 2010-11, he was a full-salaried employee at $230,000 a year plus benefits and the next year was raised to $235,000 a year plus benefits.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. April 8, 2013:

The school district tonight brought back former Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors as a consultant effective this Thursday, and also brought him on as Interim Superintendent of Schools effective July 1.

The President of the Board of Education, Rosemarie Eller told WPCNR that Mr. Connors had not signed a contract yet, but expected he would sign one in the next few days. "We have an agreement," she said.

She told WPCNR that she expected him to be handling matters pertaining to appointments and negotiations with the White Plains teachers. Connors told WPCNR he expected to be working closely with Dr. Christopher Clouet, the Superintendent of Schools in place until July 1 on personnel appointments.

In other action tonight, the Board voted 5-0 (with Board members James Hricay and Peter Bassano absent), to raise the school budget from $192.9 Million to $193.4 Million, to reflect an additional $450,000 in state aid consisting of an additional $150,000 in Building Aid and $250,000 in a state grant. Assistant Superintendent for Business, Fred Seiler told WPCNR the majority of the $450,000 would be spent on improvements to school security, with money also devoted to paying for the search for a new Superintendent of Schools.

The President of the White Plains Teachers Association, Kerry Broderick, told WPCNR the teachers were still in a fact-finding stage of seeking a new contract.

Broderick said she had stepped down as chief negotiator for the teachers and that David Eng-Wong, the teachers' representative to the New York State Union of Teachers, would be the teachers' new negotiator. She said he was getting his "team" in place.

Fred Seiler told WPCNR 230 White Plains teachers were not eligible to receive the "step" increase the majority of White Plains teachers received under terms of the Taylor Law, now covering teacher pay this year because the teachers are working without a contract.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From the City School District. April 5, 2013:

In an agenda released at 5:30 Friday afternoon, the School District made public it's plan to rehire former Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors early, effective April 13 as a consultant from now until July 1 when Mr. Connors will become Interim Superintendent for the district, and officialize Mr. Connors' appointment as Interim Superintendent of Schools July 1.

Michele Schoenfeld, Clerk to the Board of Education told WPCNR that Mr. Connors is expected to sign a consulting contract Monday evening at the Annual Scholarship Athlete recognition meeting at the high school. She told WPCNR she does not have a signed contract yet and did not have the financial arrangement to report at this time.

 Asked if Dr Christopher Clouet would still be making decisions as present Superintendent of Schools, Schoenfeld said Clouet would still be handling Superintendent duties, and Mr. Connors would be "consulting" on matters as part of the ongoing program beginning in July when Dr. Clouet is no longer here. Asked if this meant changes in certain policies scheduled for the fall such as the reorganization of the Middle School, Schoenfeld said I needed to talk to a member of the School Board.

Also on the agenda is approval of the Proposed Superintendent's budget. Asked if this included a decision by the Board to raise the budget to $193.4 Million, with no increase in the property tax rate, Schoenfeld said she had not looked at it yet.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. March 29, 2013:

 As the Board of Education prepares to finalize the school budget, they have a unique opportunity to lower White Plains School Taxes for 2013-14, if they want to and if they did not already spend it on speculation they would be getting it.

White Plains either has a “surprise”  $1.3 Million windfall in state education aid  which they could  use to lower the 3.1% tax levy proposed on White Plains taxpayers, or it’s money the school  has expected to be in the 2013-14 budget all along even though it was only proposed in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget in January.

According to Fred Seiler, the Assistant Superintendent for Business for the district, the district counted on this aid all along in formulating their budget. The $1 Billion in new school aid, was announced last week as “new” by Governor Cuomo and the leaders of the legislature, including $1.3 Million for the city school district.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. March 27, 2013:

 Assemblyman David Buchwald of the 93rd Assembly District announced yesterday that White Plains City School District would receive an increase in school aid for the 2013-14 school year of $1,331,926 -- a 9.5% increase.

Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business for the city school district told WPCNR, when asked if this mean the proposed 2013-14 school property tax increase of 3.1% could be cut substantially with this new aid, said "He was still looking at it and it would come up Monday at the School Board meeting.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From The City School District. March 20, 2013:

The Annual White Plains Board of Education Budget Vote and Election will take place on Tuesday, May 21st, 2013, Noon to 9 P.M., at six voting districts.  Two Board seats will be up for  election, each with a three-year term of office, beginning July 1, 2013.

Editor's Note: The two seats are held currently by Sheryl Brady and Charles Norris, who have, according to the District Clerk, taken out petitions to run for reelection.)

Candidates must be United States citizens, 18 years of age or more and residents of White Plains for at least one year.  Petitions are available from Michele Schoenfeld, District Clerk, at  5 Homeside Lane.  They must be signed by 100 qualified voters and returned by May 1st.

Registration, for qualified voters new to the City, or those who are not registered to vote in general elections, will take place on Saturday, May 4th, Noon to 5 P.M., at Mamaroneck Avenue School, Nosband Avenue.  A resident who has moved within White Plains during the last year may also change his/her voting address at that time.

Absentee ballots are available by application to the District Clerk, for any voter who will not be in White Plains during the hours of the election.

For further information, please call 422-2071.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From White Plains City School District. March 12, 2013(EDITED):

            The White Plains Board of Education intends to appoint former White Plains Superintendent of Schools Timothy P. Connors as Interim Superintendent of Schools beginning July 1, 2013 at its next Regular Board Meeting on April 8th according to a news release published this afternoon by the district. 

Tim Connors Returns!

The possibility of Connors being appointed interim superintendent of the district was first reported by WPCNR two weeks ago and denied by members of the Board.See http://www.whiteplainscnr.com/article9500.html. Since leaving White Plains in 2009, Connors has been Interim Superintendent of the Hastings School District. Connors told WPCNR in February, he had been made aware of the Clouet departure, but had not heard from the Board of Education about returning.

Michele Schoenfeld told WPCNR Connors would be working on a consultancy per diem rate, but there was no contract agreement as yet. He will not be working full time in the district, but will be available via telephone and come in "when needed" as Schoenfeld put it. She said he would be setting district policy as of July 1.

Mr. Connors will replace Dr. Christopher P. Clouet who has resigned as of June 30th to become Superintendent of the Tarrytown Public Schools.  Until then, it is anticipated that Mr. Connors will serve as a consultant on a periodic basis to assist the district.  He returns to White Plains after retiring in 2009 from a seven-year term as Superintendent.   

Board President Rosemarie Eller said, “We are confident that Mr. Connors is the right choice to  ensure continuity and stability and move the district forward in this transition period.  He is a dynamic leader who offers experience, enthusiasm and has demonstrated his ability to work effectively within this school district and the wider community.” 

She added that the Board will then turn to the process of initiating a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent.

     Mr. Connors had a distinguished career in public school administration before coming to White Plains in 2002.  He had been Superintendent in Danbury, CT, Bloomington, MN, and Woonsocket, RI.  He did his undergraduate work at Springfield College in Massachusetts and has a Master’s Degree and a Certificate of Advanced Studies from Harvard.  He also participated in the Urban Superintendents Program at Harvard.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS FOR THE RECORD. March 12, 2013:

 Monday evening at the Board of Education meeting, outgoing Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Christopher Clouet, delivered "A Message to the Public Regarding My Resignation: Reflections on My Work in White Plains."

The six minute address encouraged foraging ahead with the redesign of the White Plains Middle School grades six, seven, and eight next year, and highlighted his achievements the previous three and a half years.  He also called on the Board to continue efforts to close the achievement gap between students from wealthy backgrounds and those less fortunate. Here is the text of his address.

As I complete my final year as the superintendent of schools here, I am pleased with the many, positive changes that I have been a part of in White Plains.

Last month the Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns voted to select me as their superintendent of schools beginning July 1, 2013. For a number of reasons I have accepted their offer.

Finishing my fourth year as chief of the White Plains City School District, it is with mixed emotions that I reflect on my service here. I will miss White Plains.

As a young boy, I very much admired New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy – or RFK – was never timid about speaking up about issues that made many feel uncomfortable. He spoke about the unfairness of the military draft to college students. He used his media following to shine a light on poverty in our nation. He was honest about racism. He paraphrased the great Irish writer, George Bernard Shaw, when he said, “Some men see things as they are and ask – why? Others dream of things that never were and ask – why not?” In my humble way, I have tried to live by the call-to-action Kennedy modeled.

The last several years have been a period of unparalleled change in public schools across the state – characterized primarily by New York’s successful  application for U.S. Department of Education Race to the Top (RTTP) funds and the many implications which followed. The combination of adopting the Common Core Learning Standards (and related assessments) and a profoundly new set of requirements for the evaluation of teachers and principals (known as APPR) is truly a major shift for educators and for students. Added to those significant changes with the dramatic contraction of the economy associated with the collapse of the housing market, and a big increase in the unemployment rate. I arrived here along with the “Great Recesssion.”

Before knowing the New York’s RTTT application and the extent to which recession would make the battle for limited funds acrimonious—at least in the media (a 2% tax levy cap was enacted in 2011 by the State Legislature) – I was hired in order to maintain the excellence of the district’s many exemplary programs and to address complex issues often loosely defined as the “achievement gap” between students with parents who have high incomes and high levels of educational attainment and those who are less fortunate. In White Plains that is approximately a 50/50 split among the student body.

Through this tumultuous period, with the support of a top-notch team as well as community support, I have led the district to successfully pass three consecutive budgets as well as a major bond referendum for capital projects. In addirtion, we were able to successfully organize the community to resist the imposition of a charter school in White Plains.

Community partners supporting the school district – including the Mayor, the Youth Bureau, the Public Library, Centro Hispano, the NAACP, the African American Men of Westchester, the Rotary Club, the League of Women Voters, the Education Foundation, Youth Sports leagues, the ecumenical community, the Pace Center for Literacy, White Plains Hospital – and so many others – are all crucial to what make this a vibrant city.

In spite of fiscal and regulatory challenges, there have been many positive changes in recent  years . On my watch we introduced online courses for high school students, and several communications tools including a Parent Portal for families of secondary students, and a text-messaging feature for parents.

We added engineering courses to the high school, and a rigorous college prep course (AVID) for selected middle school students – which is already a part of MS (middle school) redesign. We redesigned aspects of the elementary school schedule to include dynamic regrouping so that students in need of more academic challenge would be introduced to the Jr. Great Books program while at the same time struggling students would receive needed support. We also introduced a new elementary Math program, which is aligned with the Common Core standards. In contrast to most districts, we continue to offer enrichment opportunities for elementary students in the Arts, Math and ELA. There is so much more.

With Board support, we are ready to roll out a redesigned middle school next year. Based on very solid research (much of which is posted on our website), and recognized by the State Department of Education by way of a multi-million grant to support our work, and after many discussions with students, staff and parents, a team of dedicated teachers and administrators have developed a new, engaging way to make our middle school even more successful for all students. This redesign, combined with several other changes mentioned, will help our students  --over time – to adjust to the new, significantly more rigorous battery of assessment tests that will measure their academic progress.

I am aware that there are some people who feel that since I am leaving for another post the redesign project  ought to be shelved, but it is not about me, or about Mr. Brown (editor’s note: departing Highlands Middle School Principal), or  any individual. It is a programmatic shift designed by a team who will implement it well and enhance the middle school experience for our students.

Also on my watch, we were able to upgrade digital media opportunities for middle and high school students, develop school gardens, expand our sister school relationships with schools in China, and provide more in-district services for students with special needs. I led the efforts to hire a grants writer, which has proven to be a prudent decision.

All of the above was accomplished while the student enrollment  has grown each year while we kept our operating budget under the 2% tax levy increase, even before there was a state mandate to do so.

I want to thank all of the students, teachers, administrators, other staff members, parents, and community leaders who have supported the work during these difficult and challenging times. This is not easy work. Please know the words of kindness and encouragement  many of you have communicated to me have been important to me. I am grateful for that.

To those who have taken issue with my approach, please know that at the heart of my work is the need to challenge, to engage, and to support all students in order to prepare them for the future.

I mentioned that one of the things RFK (Robert F. Kennedy) did in his short life was to make visible the reality of poverty in our nation. Today that remains a monumental issue. In Westchester and across the country the rate of childhood poerty is growing. But aside from the occasional article or report , it is rarely discussed. During the recent presidential election cycle it was hardly mentioned. It seems taboo to bring it up. Around the country and even in our community,  far too many people who are fortunate seem to view the poor among us as somehow “undeserving” or “second class”; as a threat to the equality of a community – or a school. That kind of thinking is not consistent with the core values of our nation – E PLURIBUS UNUM could be translated—we are all in this together. I believe the Board of Education has a unique opportunity to bring adults together on this troubling issue of poverty in order to change the divisive narrative – for the good of the students in our schools.

The rock artist and philosopher Bruce Springsteen wrote in a song:

Now, I been lookin’ for a job, but it’s hard to find, Down here it’s just winners and losers and don’t Get caught on the wrong side of that line

No one wants their child on the wrong side of the line. I understand the anxiety all parents have about the kind of future their children will have in a rapidly changing global society. I too am a parent, and grandparent.. In the face of that societal anxiety, I encourage the Board of Education – as elected community leaders to lead on this issue, to bring people together,  to be a collective, recognized voice for people who have no voice, and to make visible that which is too often unseen and misunderstood, so that creative solutions can be developed and nurtured.

I ask them to constantly nudge and encourage our fine teachers and school leaders to continually improve and update our curricula and instructional strategies so that the achievement gap is closed.

Finally… White Plains is a good place to raise children. The solid, innovative public schools here are a cornerstone of this community.

I have been privileged to work with a high quality team here. It has been an honor to serve the children of White Plains.

In closing, remember, the future is not a place to go, the future is something we create. I encourage the Board and all of you to be optimistic and confident as you continue to create a just and forward-thinking future for our 21^st Century school children.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. March 11. 2013:

The Board of Education voted unanimously to accept Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Clouet's resignation Monday evening, as Dr. Clouet has resigned to accept the Superintendency of the Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns. Rosmarie Eller, President of the White Plains Board of Education said the Board would announce "imminently"its plans to proceed to search for Dr. Clouet's successor.

The vote took place after a public hearing on the 2013-14 School Budget introduced a "Superintendent's Budget" of $192,950,000, a year-to-year increase of  3.93% resulting in a property tax rate of $583.21/$1,000 of assessed valuation. This would mean a school tax increase of $257 for a home with market value of $650,000-- a total school tax of $8,806, compared to $8,539 this year.

The budget results in no cuts to the teacher staffing, according to the head of the White Plains Teachers Association, Kerry Broderick, who thought it would be "a wash." The $583.21 tax rate is slightly higher than WPCNR predicted ($578-$582) due to revenue declines not previously revealed.

Fred Seiler, the Assistant Superintendent for Business said, the district was able to add 2 guidance counselors, (one at the high school, and one for the Middle School), one School Resource Police Officer, (currently there are none); and preserve full-time librarians at all school libraries.  Seiler reported district had a high number retirements which enabled the district to retain the same number of teachers.

He said in reponse to a question during the public hearing the district was negotiating with the teachers union, 40% of whom received step increases as part of the Taylor Law, since the teachers union is without a contract. That 40% who received step increased cost about $1.5 Million in the budget increase. Ms. Broderick the head of the Teachers' union said the sides are in a fact-finding phase. She assumed the union would reach a negotiated settlement eventually. Dr. Clouet did not negotiate for the school district on the previous two contract offers the teachers union rejected.

Dr. Clouet said in a 6-minute address to the district, recounting his accomplishments at White Plains,  at the close of it, he said:

"I mentioned that one of the things Robert F. Kennedy did in his short ife was to make visible the reality of poverty in our nation. Today that remains a monumental issue. In Westchester and across the country the rate of childhood poverty is growing. But aside from the occasional article or report it is rarely discussed. During the recent presidential election cycle it was hardly mentioned. It seems almost taboo to bring it up. Around the country and even in our community far too many people who are fortunate seem to view the poor among us as somehow "undeserving" or "second class"; as a threat to the quality of a community -- or a school. That kind of thinking is not consistent with the core values of our nation -- E PLURIBUS UNUM  could be translated-- we are all in this together. I believe the Board of Education has a unique opportunity to bring adults together on this troubling issue of poverty in order to change the divisive narrative -- for the good of the students in our schools."

And, his last words..."I encourage the Board of Education -- as elected community leaders to lead on this issue, to bring people together, to be a collective, recognized voice for people who have no voice, and to make visible that which is too often unseen and misunderstood, so that creative soltions can be developed and nurtured. I ask them to constantly nudge and encourage our fine teachers and school leaders to continually improve and update our curricula and instructional strategies to that the achievement gap is closed....I have been privileged to work with a quality team here. It has been an honor to serve the children of White Plains. In closing, remember, the future is not a place to go, the future is something we create.I encourage the Board, and all of you, to be optimistic and confident as you continue to create a just and forward-thinking future for our 21st Century school children."