56°
In a letter to legislative leaders, Mayor Spano said each of New York’s big cities is represented on the board except Yonkers.
“Looking at the makeup of the Board of Regents, there are of course multiple members from New York City, as well as two from Rochester, one from the Buffalo suburbs, plus one from Syracuse,” Spano said in his letter. “I believe it would be important to have a member who, while representing the state and region’s overall educational needs, also has a perspective that recognizes the unique needs of Yonkers.”
The Board of Regents is responsible for overseeing education in New York State, presiding over The University of the State of New York (USNY) and the State Education Department, which include more than 7,000 public and private elementary and secondary schools and 248 colleges and universities.
The Board consists of 17 members, one from each of the state’s 13 judicial districts and four at-large. Members are elected by a joint vote of the State Assembly and Senate.
The seat representing the 9th District – Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess and Orange Counties – is open following the retirement of long-time Regent Harry Phillips.
With nearly 27,000 students, Yonkers’ school district is the fourth largest district in New York, the largest in the 9th District and one of the state’s most diverse. It is the only big city district outside of New York City that has seen steady enrollment growth during the last several years.
Despite the challenges facing Yonkers, Spano said the city has the highest graduation rate among the Big 5 School Districts (Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers).
“The big city districts in New York, which educate nearly half of the state’s children, face tremendous challenges,” Spano said. “In Yonkers, we’ve shown that we can overcome some of these challenges despite a significant lack of resources. Dr. Sayegh’s knowledge of what works when it comes to improving education in the state’s challenging districts would greatly benefit the Board of Regents.”
Sayegh was appointed to the Yonkers Board of Education by Spano in 2012 and is serving a five-year term.
Sayegh is a 38-year veteran educator and administrator, having held various principal and leadership positions within Yonkers Public Schools.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Yonkers and receive free news updates.
