Superintendent lays out six priorities to 'build on excellence' for Port Washington schools

Dr. Posi told the Port Washington Board of Education on Sept. 17 that the district will "build on excellence" this year with six priorities aimed at strengthening instruction, access and school conditions.

The superintendent said the priorities focus on "excellent and equitable learning," success for English‑language learners and students with disabilities, secondary readiness and pathways, a culture of care and belonging, purposeful learning with technology, and future‑ready facilities. "Building on excellence as the theme for the year," he said, adding that the priorities will guide multi‑year projects and administrative accountability.

The presentation included district data the administration said will shape the work. "97% of our seniors graduated," Dr. Posi said, and he noted that 91% of last year’s graduates went on to college. He also highlighted concerns in elementary and middle grades, including a year‑over‑year decline in reading proficiency beginning in grade four and mathematics proficiency gaps he said can reach 45 percentage points between some classrooms.

Administrators outlined near‑term and longer‑range steps. For literacy the district will pilot and select a shared K–5 knowledge‑building program; a short‑term plan will target current fourth‑through‑sixth‑grade students while a longer adoption process will run over multiple years. For English‑language learners, Dr. Posi described a two‑year review of the ENL instructional model and immediate actions to support students who score below universal screener benchmarks.

Board members asked for interim deliverables and timelines. Dr. Shields, the deputy superintendent, said the enrollment and screener data are driving immediate classroom supports and that formal recommendations on program changes are expected in midyear progress reports. Principals were identified as the building leads responsible for implementation, and the board will receive midyear and year‑end updates to track results.

The board did not take formal action on the priorities at the Sept. 17 meeting; the administration said it will bring implementation updates and data to future board meetings.