Board of Education Gets First Superintendent’s Report

MOUNT VERNON – Superintendent of the Mount Vernon City School District, Dr. Demario Strickland, gave his first superintendent’s report to the Board of Education last Tuesday night. These reports will be presented monthly at Board business meetings to highlight the work and happenings within the District, with a primary focus on student achievement and outcomes.

The presentation started with Dr. Strickland discussing the role of the state monitor, who will be providing oversight and guidance related to the educational and financial policies, programs and practices of the District. Dr. Kimberly Young Wilkins will be serving as a state monitor for academic and financial plans for the District through June 30, 2027.

Dr. Strickland then introduced the new assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services, LaJuan White, who will be joining the District starting August 1. Most recently, she served as a chief of schools for the Rochester City School District, supervising principals at over a dozen schools. Her aspirations in the role are to ensure equitable access for all students, including English language learners and students with disabilities.

The superintendent also discussed the latest segment for the Mount Vernon City School District, Mount Vernon’s Jewel Box – a weekly video highlighting great work being done in the District. These videos can be found on the District website, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. In the first edition of Mount Vernon’s Jewel Box, summer programs were highlighted to showcase how they assist in students’ academic success.

During the summer, the District has been providing various educational programs for our scholars to keep them engaged in their academics year round and prepare them for success. At the Board of Education meeting, Dr. Strickland discussed the Lehman Scholars and Smart Scholars programs. These programs give students the opportunity to earn college credits before they graduate high school. Dr. Strickland also talked about the regents prep and credit recovery courses provided for students over the summer, helping them to fulfill their requirements for graduation.

Moving forward in the presentation, Dr. Strickland then talked about the culture and climate survey and the importance of creating community connections.

“With over a thousand responses, the most recent climate survey provided valuable intel on how community members, students and stakeholders feel about the current status of the District,” he said. “The survey asked questions about the quality of instructional focus in our schools, satisfaction with curriculum materials, transparency and more. These results will serve as a valuable tool for strategic planning and ongoing improvements within the District.”

He then went on to talk about registration and how the District utilizes an online registration system, eliminating the need of printing paper forms and sending them to a registration office. Dr. Strickland emphasized that the registration process does not work on mobile devices, and anyone who has moved or has renewed their lease, must fill out the proper paperwork to update their address in the District’s system.

Finally, Dr. Strickland shared reconfiguration updates, introducing the theme of “Polishing the Gem.” These updates include teacher moves from Mount Vernon Honor Academy, Mount Vernon Leadership Academy and Cecil H. Parker School, as well as IT and kitchen equipment being packed from the closed buildings to utilize elsewhere. The superintendent will continue to share updates about the “Polishing the Gem” campaign regularly.