A little over 100 days ago, Sharon Contreras began her appointment as the superintendent of the Syracuse City School District. She inherited deep challenges--low test scores and graduation rates, and an austere budget climate. Following her "first 100 days" period of listening and assessment, she is issuing a strategic plan to improve the city's educational system.
In this conversation, she relates what she has learned about the district so far, and previews the emphasis that will be placed on establishing a core curriculum, and making investments in teacher and leadership quality--and she also addresses the budgetary trade-offs involved in those decisions.
