Office of the Superintendent

July 2009

Greetings, Dr. Evans

Last month I had the honor of attending several high school graduation ceremonies in Paterson. It is always a pleasure to see students reach this very important goal and the satisfaction it brings to them and their families. I was happy to learn that many graduates, including those who attended the Adult High School, are planning to pursue higher education in the fall.

The mission of Paterson Public Schools is to prepare every student for success at the college or university of their choice. Whether or not a young person chooses to pursue a post-secondary education is certainly their decision, but it is our job to make certain that they are prepared to attend college and to succeed when they do.

With that in mind, one very important priority in Paterson is to create a “college-ready” culture in our schools. This will involve immediate steps and establishing some important long range goals.

I invite all residents to join me as I introduce our Strategic Plan during the Community Forums in October. Let’s look at the plan together and let it become a successful roadmap as we achieve our mission of preparing every student for academic success, before and after high school graduation.

I hope to see you there.