Ossining Superintendent of Schools Receives National Recognition

Superintendent Raymond Sanchez has been selected as a “Superintendent to Watch” for the 2017-18 academic year by the National School Public Relations Association.

Mr. Sanchez is one of 21 superintendents across the country chosen for this honor, which recognizes school leaders who have “demonstrated dynamic leadership with a strong emphasis on communication.”

Educators with fewer than five years of experience as superintendents are eligible for the award. Mr. Sanchez has been Ossining’s superintendent since 2013. He started his educational career in Ossining 19 years ago as a fourth-grade teacher and held several leadership positions before he was appointed superintendent.

“I am honored that the Ossining School District is being recognized for the priority we place on communication and building partnerships to foster educational success,” he said. “I’m very proud of our staff, students, community members and partner groups for all their contributions. We want our families to be informed and active in their children’s education.”

Mr. Sanchez will be profiled in a National School Public Relations Association newsletter sometime during the year and is invited to the organization’s 2018 professional-development conference. The “Superintendents to Watch” program is sponsored by SchoolMessenger, part of West Corp. Two other New York educators received the award, including the superintendents of Greece, Monroe County, and Cohoes, Albany County.

In recommending Mr. Sanchez for the award, Ossining Town Supervisor Dana Levenberg noted how accessible and available he is to employees, students, families and community members.

“He is committed to meeting people where they are. He meets with parishioners in their churches after services, meets with senior citizens, meets with community residents at the Village Fair, leads hikes for families at a local nature preserve, and so much more,” said Ms. Levenberg, a former Ossining Board of Education member. “He puts himself into the community so that the community can put its mark on our schools.”

Mr. Sanchez is president of the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents for the 2017-18 academic year. He is past president of the Lower Hudson Council of School Personnel Administrators and former president of the Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Curriculum Council. He is an adjunct professor at several area colleges.