Dear Editor,
We are writing to the Mountain Views Supervisory Union Board and the communities it serves, to express our support for Sherry Sousa as superintendent of the Mountain Views Supervisory Union (MVSU). As principals and directors within the MVSU, we have worked closely with Sherry towards our goal of creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive learning environment where all students, especially those who are currently or historically marginalized, feel safe, included, welcomed, and accepted, and experience a sense of belonging and academic success in a safe and caring learning environment.
Throughout her career within the MVSU as a special educator, director, and now superintendent, Sherry has shown an unwavering commitment to serving the needs of all students. We believe that Sherry is the best person to continue leading us as we engage in the challenging and difficult work ahead of us.
Schools are a reflection of their local communities and society as a whole. Unfortunately, our community and society have elements that are racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, anti-semitic, or bigoted in some other way.
In the fall of 2024, two individuals took down the Pride Flag at The Prosper Valley School and burned it in the road in front of the school building. Our schools respond to acts such as these and strive to create positive and inclusive learning environments where all students thrive. We are committed to this work and cannot do it alone.
Within the MVSU, we have many components in place to move our district forward. In 2021, we partnered with Dr. Luvelle Brown, superintendent of the Ithaca City School District. Over the years that followed, Dr. Brown worked with MVSU students, educators, and administrators to engage in meaningful and challenging conversations around equity, inclusion, and diversity. In 2022, the School Board adopted an Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (EID) in Education Policy that clearly articulates our overarching goals and outlines steps that will help achieve these goals. Over the past three years, educators have spent time building their knowledge around equity, inclusion, and diversity during our Late Start Wednesdays. Sherry played an instrumental role in each of these initiatives.
However, this work is not enough. Striving for equity is not something that can be checked off a list; it is something that must be done continuously and relentlessly with reflection and humility. Perhaps most importantly, it is something that must be done in partnership with students, their families, local communities, educators, administrators, staff, and school board members. With meaningful partnerships and Sherry as Superintendent, we can continue making our schools more equitable and inclusive. Respectfully,
Raphael Adamek, Lori Beland, Aaron Cinquemani, Tom Emery, James Fenn, Mary Guggenberger, Brandon Hill, Shayna Kalnitsky, Maggie Mills, Jennifer Settle, Devyn Workman, Melissa Zoerheide
