Be part of something great!
Let me take this opportunity to introduce myself to you as Sunnyside’s new superintendent. While I have only been here since July 1, 2007, I have had a wonderful orientation and welcoming by so many Sunnyside community members and school personnel. As most of you can imagine, I have hit the ground running, and I am excited and impressed by not only the community’s friendliness but, more importantly, this community’s potential.

My impressions of our potential are based on our opening day celebration on August 1. As most school districts do around America, Sunnyside School District had its Opening of School Celebration, with more than 1,500 employees in attendance. At that time I shared with our faculty and staff my vision and expectations of improving student achievement and the steps we will take this year to do that. However, what was most exciting, affirming and most amazing was the staff response to my challenge to them regarding a book that we will be reading this school year called “Failure is NOT an Option” by Alan Blankstein. It’s a book that describes a process of collective inquiry and asks all staff to answer four questions about reaching one’s core.

1. What do I stand for as an educator/adult role model?
2. What are the gifts that I bring to my work?
3. What do I want my legacy to be?
4. What can I do to keep track of myself – to remember my own heart?

I truly believe that if we are really going to change the way we do business as a school district and improve student achievement, we must start with our inner core, our personal attitudes and values regarding student achievement.

The main theme of the book, “Failure is NOT an Option,” and its challenge to educators - everyone who works with our children - is that we cannot accept failure to be an option for any child attending a Sunnyside school. In Sunnyside, failure cannot be an option if we are really going to be a great school district! We must believe and commit to success in reading at grade level, success in staying in school, success in graduating and success in meeting or exceeding our state tests.

I realize that slogans alone cannot make us better, but I also believe that high expectations and an attitude that every child is important and every child counts will! To that end, as I closed my opening comments to the gathering of 1,500 staff members, I asked them to join me on this journey and to accept the challenges of this year, to believe that “Failure will not be an option” for our students when it comes to reading at grade level, staying in school, passing the AIMS tests or especially graduating from high school. I asked that if they believed in what I was saying to Please Stand! To my amazement and pride, all 1,500 stood and, together in many ways, we as a district pledged to do our part to make this school year different, better and dedicated to all the children who attend our schools! We will not accept failure as an option. I know it will take much more than a symbolic gesture to make this happen, but I also think it speaks volumes to what I said earlier - that this community and especially this school district have incredible potential to be great! I truly believe it, feel it and will do my best to provide the leadership to make it happen. To our staff, I say thank you for a great opening of school. To our families, thank you for entrusting your children to us; and to this entire community, thank you for the privilege of serving as your superintendent.

Link: Organizational Efficiency and SUSD’s Mission Critical 5%