“Congratulations to all of you and Happy New Year,” was the salutation from the City School District of New Rochelle’s new Superintendent, Dr. Corey W. Reynolds, at the first Board of Education meeting of the new school year on September 7. After seeing three Superintendents come and go within the last five years, the District appears to have found a superintendent who is invested in students’ whole being, committed to academic success, and ready to address the values of the community.  

Dr. Reynolds has hit the ground running, making himself visible and available to community stakeholders since his installment in July 2023.  Dr. Reynolds has a long history as an educator and administrator, from serving as an elementary school principal to his most recent position as New Rochelle’s Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, where he was responsible for the hiring and oversight of strong educators committed to student success.   Dr. Reynolds appears to understand the strengths of our district and the importance of analyzing the system’s needs to move toward greater achievements in the future.    

In his ”inaugural” presentation to the Board of Education, Dr. Reynolds reviewed the District’s Strategic Roadmap, which he called “our North Star.” “This is what points us in the direction of where we will go, and this also guides us with our metrics,” he said, “so we can show that we’ve either attained growth or we need to make a shift in direction so that we can attain growth for our students.”  

Dr. Reynolds highlighted the vision of the City School District of New Rochelle as “a trusting, collaborative and innovative, high performing educational organization that challenges, celebrates and nurtures the whole child,”  and the mission statement:  “The City School District of New Rochelle will be committed to fostering a safe environment and providing a high quality education that is authentic, inclusive, collaborative, and prepares the whole child to engage in a diverse world.”

He then shared his four goals for this school year:

• To increase student achievement, decrease achievement gaps, raise graduation rates and improve the health and Wellness of children, families and staff;
• To ensure effective district governance through positive board and Superintendent relations;
• To improve public trust and confidence through authentic engagement and communication; and 
• To increase organizational effectiveness, efficiency and efficacy through a supportive positive district climate and culture.  

Dr. Reynolds drew on his HR experience to stress that for all students to excel, all personnel, from the top down, must invest in the well-being, safety, and exceptional education that set students up for future success.  Dr. Reynolds also committed to prioritizing transparency, parent/community engagement, and reliance on data to analyze the structural changes that are needed to improve our education system.  He  shared his belief that, while educators are largely responsible for setting students up for academic success, educators cannot succeed without the support of family and community.  He also identified the importance of focusing on equity to address disproportionate educational opportunities, a huge need in New Rochelle. 

Our district is overdue for a Superintendent that can bring a community of students, families, and educators together for an educational transformation that will help our youth excel.  Dr. Reynolds presents as focused and strategic and comes with a long track record of working to ensure better outcomes for students.  The New Rochelle community is looking forward to this academic year and Dr. Reynolds’s energetic and visionary leadership and partnership.   

To learn more about Dr. Reynolds, visit the New Rochelle Board of Education website.