Superintendent Strickland lays out "year of transformational leadership," sets proficiency and graduation targets

Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Strickland presented his goals and the superintendent evaluation model to the Mount Vernon board on Oct. 14, calling 2025–26 "the year of transformational leadership" and proposing measurable targets for academics, graduation and leadership accountability.

Strickland said the district will pursue a 5‑percentage‑point increase in ELA and math proficiency (with an emphasis on third‑ and fifth‑grade benchmarks) and strengthen credit accumulation systems for ninth graders. He announced an updated district graduation benchmark of 84 percent, pointing out that the board's current figure was 79 percent and that the new target reflects the district's ambitions for college, career and life readiness.

To hold district leadership accountable, Strickland said the district will adopt the Council Superintendent's evaluation model (from the New York State Council of School Superintendents) and mirror the approach across cabinet positions. The evaluation will be structured around five domains: relationship with the board, community relations, staff relationships, business and finance, and instructional leadership. Mid‑year progress checks will occur in January and final evaluations in July or August.

Strickland said the model is designed for continuous improvement, not punitive review, and emphasized the need for alignment and clear priorities. "Transformation happens when leadership is intentional, when teams are aligned, and when every action ties back to our shared vision for student success," he said. He also summarized core beliefs that guide the goals: "Every child has unlimited potential," literacy is key, and a child's zip code should not determine their future.

Trustees expressed support and asked for documents and rubrics. Strickland said he had printed copies of the evaluation tool and provided a hyperlink in the board materials for closer review. Trustees said they will review the rubric, noted the plan to discuss the evaluation in executive session and thanked Strickland for the transparency.

Why it matters: The presentation sets concrete academic targets and a governance process meant to align superintendent priorities with board oversight. Trustees and the superintendent agreed on scheduled checkpoints and a shared expectation of accountability and improvement.