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Crafting a vision for our future
I
am so pleased to report to you on the great progress we are making this
winter in
constructing a new strategic plan for the City School District of
Albany in partnership with individuals and groups throughout the city.
This is a critical process for the district, the community and, most
especially, for the children of our city. It has been very meaningful to
have participation and input from such a diverse group, and I am
particularly grateful for the leadership that the members of our
Strategic Planning Team have provided.
This group of caring individuals has dedicated considerable time and
talent to build a vision for the district’s future that will ensure more
and better opportunities for all of our students. As we move forward
through the next months, the work of our action teams will drive us
toward a strategic plan that will allow us to address the critical
issues we face.
I
am proud of the significant improvement we have made across the district
and across grade levels in recent years. All of our indicators show that
we are progressing steadily, but we know there is so much more to
accomplish before we can rejoice as a community in attaining the one
objective that motivates all that we do – 100 percent graduation for our
city’s public-school students.
Plainly, we have to do more, and our strategic planning process is
building that framework.
Our challenges compel us to think differently about the delivery system
for academic programs, particularly in our middle and high schools. When
we consider strategies for dramatically increasing our classroom
results, it is imperative in a city as rich in diversity as ours to have
full community support in developing a plan that serves all students.
Our challenges also extend beyond the classroom. The district is facing
greater pressures than ever before in terms of our fiscal well-being,
due primarily to the inordinate number of charter schools in Albany.
The financial burden of supporting two separate school districts – one
public, one charter – is significant. The eight charter schools
operating in Albany this school year will take almost $22 million from
our budget. That is an increase of nearly $6 million over 2006-07, and
the figure will increase again in 2008-09 and further drain resources
away from our 9,000 public-school students as a ninth charter school
opens its doors.
This is a financial reality that cannot be denied, nor can the related
pressures of declining enrollment and the challenge to change our school
configuration so that we can meet our fiscal and academic obligations to
the children of our community.
These are difficult decisions that we must make together. Our strategic
plan will provide a blueprint for meeting these challenges, and I am
confident that the community teamwork driving this process will allow us
to move confidently forward with a strong commitment to our students.
Eva C. Joseph, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
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