Welcome to the 2019-20 school year!
Whether your family is returning to the City School District of Albany or joining us for the first time, we are excited to greet you and grateful for the opportunity to serve you in the year ahead.
As a district, we have taken courageous steps over the past year as we embarked on a laser-focused approach to addressing equity through the lens of culturally responsive teaching and learning.
We worked collaboratively with our Board of Education to develop our first Equity in Education Policy in January. This policy captures what we believe about ourselves and how we approach our work.
In our buildings, we have been implementing research-based best practices through a culturally responsive lens and re-examining our culture, practices and collective leadership.
We are committed to the success of every student, and to achieving our vision of being a district of excellence, access and opportunity, with caring relationships and engaging learning experiences that provide equitable opportunities for all students to reach their potential.
We also recognize that while we are making great strides, our current educational system, along with complex historical factors, often create and perpetuate barriers to access and opportunities. Our next phase of growth in the area of equity in 2019-20 includes a consistent, ongoing review of our district practices and procedures in order to reverse the cycle of systemic disparities that impact student success.
Our work also is more than academics. We consider a student’s social and emotional development to be an important piece of the academic development. Our goal is to make sure that every student has the supports he or she needs to succeed in school.
We recognize that a focus on individual student needs is necessary for equitable outcomes, and we will utilize the strengths of Albany’s diversity to ensure equitable outcomes for our entire school community.
I encourage all of our students and their families to take advantage of the numerous opportunities available throughout our district. Check out an athletic event. Attend a concert. Volunteer in a classroom. Be a positive participant in our wonderful school community.
We have excellent faculty and staff in all roles and all buildings who are dedicated to our students. However, support from family and community is a crucial part of every student’s success.
As we work together in partnership with our diverse community to engage every learner in a robust educational program, I am excited to embark on a new chapter of this amazing journey of equity through the lens of culturally responsive teaching and learning.
Join us to make great things happen in our schools in 2019-20. It takes all of us working together for each of us to ensure that every one of us is successful.
Together, we are all in for Albany!
Sincerely,
Kaweeda G. Adams
Superintendent
