Superintendent of Schools
Bernard P. Pierorazio

Fall 2007

Dear Visitor,

The grand opening of our newest high school, a settled four year teacher contract and important grants from the United States Department of Education and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation helped to produce an outstanding opening of school. But it is the students and staff members who walk through the doors each day as an active and vibrant community of learners that make this school year continue to be something special.

Our school district is in the midst of a positive transformation that is refocusing our culture and our practices to ensure a world-class education for every one of our students. We simply will not settle for less.

Four non-negotiable goals for school administrators are setting the tone and the standard for this year and for the years to come:

Goal One

• Student Achievement
  Across the board improvement in State assessments and an increase in the annual graduation rates.

Goal Two

• Instructional Improvements

Goal Three

• Collaborative Supervision of Staff.

Goal Four

• Community Outreach

I will report to the community our progress towards meeting these goals throughout the year.

Smaller Learning Communities Prekindergarten - 12

A significant, ongoing District goal is the development of the smaller learning community environment. This means that the staff knows every child in their school, that no child falls through the cracks, and that every child completes his or her education leaving well prepared for the future.

To achieve this goal, the District continues to develop prekindergarten through grade 8 schools that focus on academic progress from grade to grade. Yonkers students in these schools achieved as much as 17 percentage points higher on New York State exams in English Language Arts, and as much as 19 percentage points higher in Mathematics.

With the help of a $3.3 million grant from the United States Department of Education, we will continue to expand the smaller learning community model in our high schools. The District’s ongoing initiative features an interdisciplinary approach to instruction with an emphasis on personalized learning.

College Board High School

The District recently received approval and funding for a College Board High School supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Initial planning is about to begin for this grade 6 through 12 school that will feature a rigorous academic environment and college-going culture.

Riverside High School

Our sixth comprehensive high school welcomed its first group of students this year to experiential, participatory and classroom learning that will prepare them for the emerging challenges of the 21st century. The Riverside High School Class of 2011 will have a strong foundation in engineering, ecology, design and tourism, and be ready for post secondary studies.

Superintendent’s Community Forums Continue
This month, I had the pleasure of meeting many parents and community members at Superintendent’s Community Forums throughout the city. It is so encouraging to hear how focused people are on the success of our students. Please accept my invitation to attend any of the forums. Please follow this link to access the schedule.

The Yonkers Public Schools has inspiring teachers, involved parents, and eager students. Universally, we share a strong, unwavering belief that every student can find success. Failure is not an option.

Bernard P. Pierorazio