Superintendent of Schools Dr. Demario Strickland delivers monthly report to BOE

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Demario Strickland delivered his monthly report to the Board of Education on Tuesday night in which he described how the District has been celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, thanked parents who took part in “Dad, Take Your Child to School Day” and reviewed the progress of the “Polishing the Jewel” initiative.  

Dr. Strickland’s monthly address to the board is geared toward highlighting the District’s varied accomplishments and activities while focusing on student achievement and outcomes, in particular.

He began by expressing the District’s pride to be honoring Hispanic Heritage Month with events that recognize the rich history, cultural contributions and enduring impact of the Hispanic and Latino communities.

“From a history lesson, percussion performance and traditional dances at Edward Williams School, to morning announcements at Mount Vernon High School and Traphagen School, to a vibrant art project at Hamilton School – our students are immersing themselves in the richness of Hispanic culture,” Dr. Strickland said.

“We are also excited to celebrate our students for Hispanic Heritage Month, with students being selected for awards at the end of the month. Our students do fantastic things every day, and we want them to know that we see that and appreciate their effort,” he added.

The superintendent also expressed his appreciation to all the fathers and father figures who took part in “Dad, Take Your Child to School Day,” which was marked at Graham, Nelson Mandela/Hosea Zollicoffer, Pennington, Hamilton and Edward Williams schools, as well as Denzel Washington School of the Arts, Benjamin Turner Academy and Rebecca Turner Academy.

“Thanks also to the teachers and staff – and, of course, the students – who contributed to the success of the special occasion, which allowed the parents to get a firsthand glimpse into their children’s school routines,” he said.

And in further promoting close family connections, Dr. Strickland noted that the city’s Youth Bureau and the Mount Vernon Community That Cares hosted a National Family Day event at Grimes School in which prizes were awarded to families that got the most answers correct in a game about how well they knew each other.

He discussed the ongoing “Polishing the Jewel” initiative tied to the organizational changes and improvements in school structures, facilities and operations – including students making smooth moves to new schools with the help of meet-and-greets and a new-student social at Lincoln School.

Dr. Strickland also revisited the climate survey by outlining the areas of strength as well as highlighting those that the District can improve upon.

He said that 65 percent of students “believe their school promotes a culture of diversity and 81 percent feel their teachers care about them."

Meanwhile, he said that “only half of our students feel supported by district leadership, so we will definitely need to get that up,” adding that “one of the biggest areas we need to improve is transparency and communications – which we have already begun.”

Finally, Dr. Strickland touched on staffing shortages, saying the District has about 60 openings, including teachers and teaching assistants, administrators, clerks, nurses, security guards and lunch monitors.

“If you or someone you know is interested in working for the district, please visit our website to explore employment opportunities,” he said.