A Welcome Letter from Interim Superintendent Davis
July 1, 2022Dear SCSD Families and Staff,
As a proud graduate of the Syracuse City School District, I am honored to have been chosen to lead the Syracuse City School District as the Interim Superintendent. It is great to be back home here in the SCSD and I look forward to working with all of you!
In the last few months alone, I have seen and heard of SCSD students of all ages excelling in a variety of areas: robotics and STEM, theater and fine arts, athletics, Career and Technical Education programs and so much more. I attended each of our graduations last week and was once again reminded of how talented our students and staff are. I have seen previous SCSD graduates go on to achieve success as astronauts, politicians, lawyers, medical professionals, and so many other diverse fields. I wholeheartedly believe in the capabilities of SCSD students, staff, families and communities, and I am fully invested in helping us collectively succeed.
I know that our SCSD families and staff care a great deal about our children. I know that our teachers, administrators, and staff work tremendously hard. I know that to help our students succeed, we must ensure that our entire community – including students, families, and staff – are supported. We all want what is best for our children, and we must actively work together to make that happen!
We are all aware of the challenges currently facing our District, our community, and our nation. We are coming out of a pandemic, poverty is widespread, violence is rampant, and a mental health crisis continues. In our school buildings, we are fortunate to have resources and supports in place to help combat these issues. We have already implemented widespread Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) supports in our classrooms and have trained our staff in how to identify and provide support for issues as they arise. We are fortunate to benefit from strong community partnerships which help reinforce the supports already in place within the SCSD - including Onondaga County's Promise Zone, Contact Community Services, Good Life Foundation, Peaceful Schools, Hillside, Hope Specialists and so many others.
I fully understand the challenges facing our students, families, communities and staff and I believe that together we are more than capable of overcoming them. I would like you to know that I will remain accessible to hearing your questions, concerns, and suggestions. In return, I ask that you, as a valuable member of our community, do the same. We must all commit to communicate with and support each other to help our students – and our District – succeed!
As we look ahead to the 2022-23 school year, please take a moment to remind your child about the importance of attendance, appropriate school behaviors and expectations. Our students are representatives of the greatness that is the SCSD.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Syracuse City School District. I look forward to working alongside you!
Sincerely,
Anthony Q. Davis
Interim Superintendent
