The eloquent and affirmative Dr. Bernard Taylor, one of the two candidates up for selection for the Syracuse City School District’s next Superintendent announced yesterday he will be withdrawing his name from the candidacy.
The announcement comes after a serious blow was given to his current district’s budget, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He believes there’s still work to be done since all his reformations are in danger of being repressed given the fiscal crisis his current district is facing.
Dr. Bernard Taylor released this statement:
“True education reform and real academic results that our students,families and this community deserve takes a lot of time, persistence, leadership, and support.
“In 2006, I was presented with the honor of serving as the GRPS superintendent and given a crystal clear directive from the Board — get it done and get it done now.
“The urgency for action and the need for bold, dramatic and innovative change were readily apparent. Only 26 schools — more than half of all schools — were failing to meet basic federal and state standards and all but seven schools were getting a “C” grade or worse.
“At the same time, our budgets, buildings, and programs were out of alignment with the reality of our enrollment and decreasing taxpayer funds necessary to ensure long term sustainability.
“In five short years, we nearly doubled the number of schools making the grade, quadrupled the number of schools earning a B grade or better, and earned statewide attention for our financial “right sizing” efforts and educational reforms.
“This is good news for our students, staff and this community. We have come a long way in a short period of time and thanks to the hard work and dedication of our students, parents, teachers, school leaders, and community leaders, we are on the right track.
“But a new day of reckoning is fast approaching GRPS, both financially and academically. This year, we are facing the single worst budget crisis of the entire decade
Next year, in addition to the budget issues, the academic ‘cut scores’ by which our students and schools are judged are set to dramatically change. In short, GRPS will be back to square one; back to where we were five years ago, possibly even worse depending on the outcome of the budget.
“After much prayerful reflection and thanks to a lot of support and encouragement locally, I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for the Syracuse superintendent position.
“While it was a unique professional and personal opportunity, it is clear to me that my calling is – and remains – right here and right now. We have more hard work and heavy lifting ahead, but our track record proves that this entire community can and will step up to support the future of its youth.”
Dr. Taylor was not only a viable candidate for the SCSD, but the stronger and more aggressive appealing candidate as he commanded his audience and set some very firm affirmations of his goals and visions for Syracuse’s troubled district. Since Ms. Contreras, the other Superintendent candidate, has been chosen by default, it should be interesting to see how her position develops (or doesn’t develop) with the current powers that be.
The more promising of the two candidates drops out of Superintedent Race
The eloquent and affirmative Dr. Bernard Taylor, one of the two candidates up for selection for the Syracuse City School District’s next Superintendent announced yesterday he will be withdrawing his name from the candidacy.
The announcement comes after a serious blow was given to his current district’s budget, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He believes there’s still work to be done since all his reformations are in danger of being repressed given the fiscal crisis his current district is facing.
Dr. Bernard Taylor released this statement:
“True education reform and real academic results that our students,families and this community deserve takes a lot of time, persistence, leadership, and support.
“In 2006, I was presented with the honor of serving as the GRPS superintendent and given a crystal clear directive from the Board — get it done and get it done now.
“The urgency for action and the need for bold, dramatic and innovative change were readily apparent. Only 26 schools — more than half of all schools — were failing to meet basic federal and state standards and all but seven schools were getting a “C” grade or worse.
“At the same time, our budgets, buildings, and programs were out of alignment with the reality of our enrollment and decreasing taxpayer funds necessary to ensure long term sustainability.
“In five short years, we nearly doubled the number of schools making the grade, quadrupled the number of schools earning a B grade or better, and earned statewide attention for our financial “right sizing” efforts and educational reforms.
“This is good news for our students, staff and this community. We have come a long way in a short period of time and thanks to the hard work and dedication of our students, parents, teachers, school leaders, and community leaders, we are on the right track.
“But a new day of reckoning is fast approaching GRPS, both financially and academically. This year, we are facing the single worst budget crisis of the entire decade
Next year, in addition to the budget issues, the academic ‘cut scores’ by which our students and schools are judged are set to dramatically change. In short, GRPS will be back to square one; back to where we were five years ago, possibly even worse depending on the outcome of the budget.
“After much prayerful reflection and thanks to a lot of support and encouragement locally, I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for the Syracuse superintendent position.
“While it was a unique professional and personal opportunity, it is clear to me that my calling is – and remains – right here and right now. We have more hard work and heavy lifting ahead, but our track record proves that this entire community can and will step up to support the future of its youth.”
Dr. Taylor was not only a viable candidate for the SCSD, but the stronger and more aggressive appealing candidate as he commanded his audience and set some very firm affirmations of his goals and visions for Syracuse’s troubled district. Since Ms. Contreras, the other Superintendent candidate, has been chosen by default, it should be interesting to see how her position develops (or doesn’t develop) with the current powers that be.