YPS Improvement & Achievements Continue
The Yonkers Board of Education unanimously appointed Dr. Edwin Quezada to a new five-year term as superintendent of schools, effective Feb. 1 through Jan. 31, 2025, during its Feb. 26 meeting.
“One of the trustees’ legislated duties is to employ a superintendent of schools who will administer with fidelity the goals and policies established by the board, as well as required compliance with state education laws and regulations,” said Board of Education President the Rev. Steve Lopez. “The superintendent oversees the school district’s budget and supervises all functions to deliver a safe, healthy educational environment for students and staff to thrive and achieve at high levels. As the fourth largest school district in the state, this is no easy task.”
Over the past five years, students, staff and infrastructure have undergone significant consistent progress, which is well documented and recognized in New York State and nationally, according to Lopez.
“The common denominator is Dr. Quezada,” said Lopez. “Driven by equity across all aspects of teaching and learning, his compassion for children and families, coupled with his tenacious leadership, our students, educators and staff are substantially advancing because of Dr. Quezada’s work. Just last week, the publication, city and State New York distributed ‘The 2020 Education Power 100 – the 100 most powerful education leaders in New York State;’ Dr. Quezada was 11th out of 100 individuals. Therefore, to sustain this momentum and stabilize the school district for the next five years the trustees offered and Dr. Quezada accepted a new five-year contract.”
“Our Yonkers Public Schools have experienced unprecedented growth and milestone achievements due to the unrelenting commitment and leadership of our superintendent,” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “Dr. Quezada’s tenure has led to our students achieving the highest graduation rates and test scores among the ‘big five’ districts. His approach to education is deliberate and progressive, all while putting our students and teachers first. Congratulations to our Board of Trustees and superintendent on a job well done – keep up the great work!”
Yonkers Public Schools – Five Years of Improvement, 2015 to 2020 {subhead}
* Graduation rate at 88 percent – the only large city district to graduate over 80 percent. One high school with a 100 percent on-time graduation rate, three with an over 90 percent and three with over 85 percent. Every sub-groups outperform the state and large cities.
* Dropout rate of 3 percent – half the state’s average of 6 percent, and it has decreased by 61 percent since 2015.
* Increased grades in third through eighth state assessments in English language arts by 5 percentage points and math by 4 over three years. Yonkers outperformed the statewide gains of 0.2 percentage points on ELA and 2.2 percentage points on math, as well as all of the “big five” large city school districts whose gains aligned more closely to the state’s results. Every Yonkers subgroup showed improvements on both assessments.
* Diversified central office leadership – assembled a central leadership team reflective of the City of Yonkers’ rich diversity.
* Expanded community school model – strong partnerships with the Yonkers Police Department, Yonkers Fire Department, health and mental health institutions, vision and dental services and community organizations.
* Increased and sustained sports programs – a robust intramural sports program in grades seven and eight, and revitalized and expanded high school junior varsity and varsity options.
* Yonkers My Brother’s Keeper is touted as a model program in New York State and has gained considerable national recognition.
* Advanced family/guardian engagement – new efficient student information system and robust Parent Portal-New Mass Notification System.
* Completed 48 capital projects for $58 million over the past two years – 12 more projects are in construction for $19 million; SMART Bond capital improvements for expansions and significant renovations at four schools – Kahlil Gibran School, Eugenio Maria de Hostos MicroSociety School, Patricia DiChiaro School and School 30.
* Increased technology opportunities for teaching and learning. Yonkers is the first large district to administer districtwide computer-based testing for grades three through eight state assessments in ELA and math – considered a model in NYS.
* Provided significant professional development – next generation learning standards, technology, and addressing the needs of multi-lingual learners.
