UPDATED: Top Providence School Official Gets Job in Syracuse

UPDATED: Top Providence School Official Gets Job in Syracuse

Sharon Contreras, the chief academic officer for Providence schools, has been offered the superintendent post in Syracuse, New York, according to a report on WSYR-TV, a local news station.

Contreras, who has been at her Providence post for four years, is expected to be announced tonight as the next superintendent in Syracuse. A Long Island native, Contreras had served as an administrator in Clayton County, GA and Rockford, Ill, prior to arriving in Providence.

Her appointment is expected to be announced in Syracuse Wednesday night. Until then, Contreras has declined comment.

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As the Chief Academic Office, Contreras is oversees all academic programs in the district and is effectively the number 2 person at the School Department, under Superintendent Thomas Brady.

Her departure comes at a time of turmoil in the Providence public school system. Last month, Mayor Angel Taveras issued termination letters to all 1,926 teachers in the city. Yesterday, he announced plans to close four elementary schools, due to budget constraints.

According to WSYR-TV, things aren’t that much better, at least in financial terms, in Syracuse, which it says is in a “dire budget situation.” During a visit to the school district in February, Contreras reportedly weighed on how she would address the budget shortfall. “What is key, is that you always make budget reductions with children in mind and you stay as far away from the classroom as possible,” Contreras is quoted as saying in the WSYR-TV report.

UPDATE: In a statement Providence Superintendent Thomas Brady said he was bittersweet over Contreras' departure.

“Sharon will be a truly outstanding superintendent,” Brady said. “She has been a driving force for tremendous academic and systemic change here in Providence, and her combination of deep academic expertise and superior management skills will be difficult to replace. I believe I speak for all of Providence Schools when I say that we are tremendously proud of Sharon and wish her well in this new professional venture.”