The City School District of Albany Board of Education has extended the contract of Superintendent Kaweeda G. Adams through the 2025-26 school year, once again rewarding the strong leadership she has delivered with the longest contract that the state law allows.
“Superintendent Adams has consistently provided stellar leadership in the past four years, and through this last year in particular,” said Board President Anne Savage. “As she guided the district through the COVID-19 pandemic, our budget passed by one of the most significant margins ever, and Albany High achieved its highest graduation rate since the state started measuring graduation under its current methodology in 2005.
“We have repeatedly seen how her exceptional operational skills, her passion and her integrity create meaningful improvements for students and for faculty and staff. I am confident she will continue to keep our district focused on student success.”
The board approved the five-year contract at its meeting July 8, adding one additional year to Adams’ current contract. There is no salary increase; the extension includes a $5,000 increase to the annual contribution to Adams’ 403(b) retirement plan.
Under Adams’ leadership, Albany is focused on five primary goals:
- Increasing student achievement;
- Enhancing the delivery of quality instruction;
- Building leadership capacity and increasing accountability;
- Empowering families; and
- Partnering with the city’s diverse community.
Adams, who came to Albany from Las Vegas, Nev., at the start of the 2017-18 school year, has sought to engage all stakeholders in supporting the district’s approximately 9,000 students by empowering the district with the best strategies to improve academic outcomes and social-emotional learning for all students.
Her leadership in the areas of equity, culturally relevant education and social justice have emerged as central tenets of the district’s work.
Underpinned by the board’s adoption of the district’s first Equity in Education Policy in January 2019, the district is embedding those pillars in professional development for all employees as well as curriculum development. The district is currently working on metrics of quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate its effectiveness in meeting the equity policy goals.
“I continue to believe in the possibility of our continued success since we have established a foundation of equity,” Adams said. “I am inspired by the commitment to embedding social justice within our curriculum, and the awareness and implementation of anti-racist practices as we work to fulfill our vision of being a district of excellence with caring relationships and engaging learning experiences that provide equitable opportunities for all students to reach their potential.
“I am humbled to be able to continue my service to the students and families of the City School District of Albany. I am honored to work alongside the dedicated administrators, faculty and staff of our school district. Together, we are all in for Albany.”
Other signs of progress during Adams’ tenure include:
- A continued increase in Albany High’s graduation rate to 73% for the class of 2020, the school’s highest rate since the state started measuring graduation under its current methodology in 2005;
- An increased emphasis on STEM/STEAM education, social-emotional supports for students and families, before- and after-school programming and extracurricular clubs and activities;
- Increased opportunities for family engagement at the school and district levels; and
- Revitalized relationships with community partners.
“Under Superintendent Adams’ leadership, even during COVID-19, our district has continued to address long-standing barriers to equitable outcomes for all students,” Savage said. “We have dramatically improved operations throughout the district. We have committed to exceptional professional development for our employees, and we have substantially expanded and improved our curriculum, all while maintaining our commitment to fiscal stability
