Dear families and friends,
We would like to welcome our new District 2 Superintendent, Mr. Kelly McGuire who will be beginning his new role on February 1, 2021. Below please find his Welcome Letter.
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Dear District Two Community,
At this time of enormous challenge in our nation’s history, my thoughts are with those of you who have experienced loss over the past year. It is my hope that this new year will bring healing, both for individuals and families, as well as for our country. I am honored to be writing to you as the new District Two Superintendent. Please know that I am committed to strengthening our community so it is a support for all in this very difficult time. Having served in the district for sixteen years, I came to know many children, families, and school leaders and I had the privilege of being able to learn from so many of you. The opportunities I’ve had to watch our students grow, listen to families speak with love about the unique strengths of their children, and observe our District Two teachers engage in thoughtful teaching and learning have helped strengthen my understanding of how schools can best support children.
Our children and adults have experienced incredible distress and disruption after living through almost a year of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we consider how to support our schools toward a full and safe reopening we must define the kind of post-pandemic community we wish to establish. Paul Wellstone, the late United States Senator from my home state of Minnesota, was known for his saying, “We all do better when we all do better.” For me these words define community and declare that in order to “do better” we all must engage in a continuous process of support for each other. In the coming weeks I will be meeting with members of our community to hear about your experiences over the past year and your vision for District Two schools. I hope that many of you will join me in this work. Our goal will be to map out a strategy for applying what we have learned about teaching, learning, and strengthening relationships. As we work toward a full reopening of our classrooms we will ensure that our schools are equitable and inclusive spaces in which all of our children may thrive.
Despite these hard times you have demonstrated incredible resilience. The next year will bring new challenges, but we will work through them together. Adversity is much easier to face when done so with friends and family by your side, and I feel incredibly lucky to be rejoining the District Two community at this time. If you wish to be a part of school reopening conversations or if you would like to reach me for any reason please do not hesitate to email me at kmcguire@schools.nyc.gov .
All My Best,
Kelly
