NO SCHOOL: Thanksgiving Recess
The City School District of Albany Board of Education has extended the contract of second-year Superintendent Kaweeda G. Adams through the 2023-24 school year, rewarding the strong leadership she has delivered with the longest extension that state law allows.
The board approved the five-year contract at its meeting Thursday night, adding two additional years to Adams’ current contract.
“On behalf of the board, I wanted to note that we believe that the superintendent is doing an exceptional job in leading the district and are pleased to have extended her contract,” said Board President Anne Savage.
“We especially value the way Superintendent Adams and her staff are both fixing systems that have been broken in this district for far too long, while at the same time quickly and expertly addressing issues as they arise.”
The contract includes 2% annual salary increases and takes effect July 1. Adams currently earns $197,000; she will earn $200,950 in 2019-20.
“I am honored for the privilege to serve the students of the City School District of Albany,” said Adams (pictured at right at an event Monday with North Albany Academy fifth-grade student Brianna Campbell). “Our students deserve to have equitable access and opportunities through learning experiences that help them reach their highest potential.
"I am grateful to our Board of Education for its leadership, and for providing me with this opportunity to continue our collective work on behalf of our students in partnership with our dedicated faculty, staff and administrators, as well as our families and our entire community."
A native of Shreveport, La., Adams came to Albany in 2017 after 28 years in the Clark County, Nev., school district, which includes Las Vegas. It is the fifth-largest school district in the United States.
Under her leadership, Albany is focused on five primary goals:
- Increasing student achievement;
- Enhancing the delivery of quality instruction;
- Building leadership capacity and increasing accountability;
- Empowering families; and
- Partnering with the city’s diverse community.
During her second year in 2018-19, Adams has sought to engage all stakeholders in supporting the district’s 9,300 students with her popular catch phrase “All in for Albany!”
The message, intended both to heal and empower a district and a community that have long been fractured over the best strategies to improve academic outcomes for all students, has served as a welcoming call to action for many in Albany.
Other signs of progress early in her tenure include:
- A continued increase in Albany High School’s graduation rate to 68% for the Class of 2018, the school’s highest rate since the state started measuring graduation under its current methodology in 2005;
- Nine Schools in Good Standing this year, up from four a year ago;
- The district’s first Equity in Education Policy, which the board adopted in January;
- Expanded professional development opportunities for all staff;
- A district-wide focus on culturally responsive teaching and learning;
- An increased emphasis on social-emotional supports for students, including trauma-informed care and restorative justice;
- Increased opportunities for parent engagement at the school and district levels;
- Revitalized relationships with community partners; and
- Recently settled multi-year contracts with the district’s three bargaining units.
“We look forward to working together for many years and we are fully confident that under Superintendent Adams's leadership, Albany will achieve our vision of being a district of excellence with caring relationships, engaging learning experiences and equitable opportunities for each and every student,” Savage said.
The mission of the City School District of Albany is to educate and prepare all students for college and career, citizenship and life, in partnership with our diverse community. The district serves approximately 9,300 students in 18 elementary, middle and high schools. In addition to neighborhood schools, the district includes several magnet schools and programs, as well as other innovative academic opportunities for students, including four themed academies at Albany High School.
