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Board honors teachers with tenure as superintendent and staff highlight student achievements
Summary
During the May 11 meeting the board recognized dozens of staff recommended for tenure, Superintendent Joe Ricca emphasized the value of tenure and program continuity, and students from White Plains High School described their Business Olympics project on affordable housing.
The White Plains Board of Education used its May 11 meeting to publicly recognize staff recommended for tenure and to spotlight student and school achievements. Superintendent Joe Ricca read the list of educators recommended for tenure and invited each to stand for recognition; the board then voted to confirm the recommended tenure actions as part of the meeting's summary items.
In remarks introduced by the superintendent, Dr. Tammy Cosgrove, acting assistant superintendent for human resources, congratulated the tenure recipients and offered practical advice for early-career educators. "Tip number 1, you don't have to connect with every student in the same way, but you can create a space where every student feels heard and valued," Dr. Cosgrove said, adding that teachers should "give yourself permission to grow into the role" and "embrace all the learning." Her comments framed tenure as both a milestone and a responsibility tied to standards and professional growth.
Superintendent Ricca praised the district's staff and community supports, calling teaching "the most important job" and noting that the district's proposed budget seeks to preserve programming while remaining within the tax cap. The meeting also highlighted student accomplishments: students who represented White Plains at the Westchester Business Olympics described a project proposing communal affordable housing solutions for the county and how the competition advanced their research and leadership skills. "Having this experience of developing housing and coming up with ideas for the good of White Plains and Westchester County was... a great experience overall," student Darius Coulson said.
Context: The meeting also included recognition of awards, community-service milestones reported by the high school (cited as 11,031 service hours by 137 students), and upcoming senior and athletic events. The board thanked donors and community partners and closed with routine committee reports and safety-plan updates.
What's next: Tenure confirmations are effective following board approval; administrators will proceed with standard HR onboarding and recognition steps. The district continues outreach about the proposed budget ahead of the May 19 vote.
