Governor Cuomo has appointed City School District of Albany Superintendent Kaweeda G. Adams to serve on New York's Reimagine Education Advisory Council, which will help school districts statewide prepare to reopen in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
Adams joins a group of 20 educators, education leaders, parents and students that will develop plans to help schools protect health and safety while evaluating how virtual learning can supplement face-to-face education when schools reopen.
“It is an honor to have been selected to participate on Governor Cuomo’s Reimagine Education Advisory Council,” said Adams, who also has convened a reopening committee in the school district to begin planning for the 2020-21 school year.
“The COVID-19 crisis has challenged us all and provided opportunities to think about teaching and learning differently. I look forward to joining together with my colleagues in this significant and serious work.”
SUNY Empire State College President Jim Malatras will chair the council. In addition to Adams, the other members are:
- Jaime Alicea, superintendent, Syracuse City School District
- Jody Gottfried Arnhold, founder, Dance Educator Laboratory (DEL) 92Y
- Melodie Baker, director of education, United Way of Buffalo & Erie County
- Kyle Belokopitsky, executive director, New York State PTA
- Meg Benke, provost, SUNY Empire State College
- Jackie Burbridge, parent, Suffolk County
- Katie Campos, partner, Strategic Collective
- Anthony Collins, president, Clarkson University
- Stephanie Conklin, master teacher, South Colonie Central School District
- George Dermody, CEO, The Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference
- Karol Mason, president, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Austin Ostro, president, SUNY Student Assembly
- Martin Palermo, master teacher, William Floyd School District
- Roger Ramsammy, president, Hudson Valley Community College
- Seema Rivera, president, Guilderland Central School District School Board
- Shannon Tahoe, interim commissioner, New York State Education Department
- Dennis Walcott, former chancellor, New York City Department of Education
- Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers
"When we closed school facilities because of the COVID-19 virus, our teachers and students rose to the occasion, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their heroic work," Governor Cuomo said. "Like everything else, when we do reopen schools it's not just about reopening as they were before, it's about building back even better than before.
“The collective expertise and experience of this new advisory council will help answer key questions about how we can strengthen New York's entire education system for decades to come."
The council will work in collaboration with other experts and stakeholders, including the state and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to answer key questions about what education should look in the future using new technologies, and to develop a blueprint to reimagine education in the new normal, the governor said.
