Brockport schools chief Myers-Small appointed to state Education Department
Meaghan M. McDermottBrockport schools chief Lesli Myers-Small has been tapped to head a wing of the state Education Department that oversees turnaround efforts at low-achieving schools.
Myers-Small's last day with the Brockport Central School District will be Jan. 6, according to a press release sent by the district.
"While I am very excited about this opportunity, I will greatly miss the Brockport Central School District, my colleagues, staff and students," Myers-Small said in an emailed statement.
She was appointed on Tuesday as the state's assistant commissioner of school reform and innovation. Her appointment came on the same day the state Board of Regents appointed Shannon Tahoe as acting commissioner of education.
In her new capacity, Myers-Small may have significant input on initiatives to improve student outcomes in the Rochester City School District, as the job entails overseeing state efforts to takeover and restructure failing and persistently failing schools. Thirty-four schools in the Rochester City School District were on the receivership list as of January 2019.
Myers-Small was named to head Brockport schools in 2012, becoming the first African-American woman to become a superintendent of schools in Monroe County. She had previously served as an assistant superintendent in the Ithaca City School District, and before that was director of student and career support with the Greece Central School District and a counselor and house administrator in the City School District. She grew up in Pittsford and is a graduate of Pittsford Mendon High School and holds a doctorate in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College and master's degrees from St. John Fisher and the University of Rochester.
Brockport Board of Education President Terry Carbone said announcing Myers-Small's departure was a "bittersweet" moment.
"While she will be missed, the board supports her new endeavor, and we know she will have a positive impact on school districts across the state," she said.
Carbone said the school board will begin the process to name an interim superintendent and will begin a search for a replacement candidate in coming weeks.