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Dr. John M. Baracy Superintendent Education Center 3811 N. 44th St. Phoenix, AZ 85018 480-484-6120

Wendy Cohen and Dr. Baracy kick off the Math Achievement Club by Rodel at Yavapai Elementary School 2008-09

Dr, Baracy takes part in Coronado High School's Homecoming Parade. 2007-08

Wendy Cohen and Dr. Baracy kick off the Math Achievement Club by Rodel at Yavapai Elementary School 2007-08

Operation Smile Badminton Fundraiser 2007-08

Dairy Counicil of Arizona Ultimate School Restyle Dedication at Ingleside Middle School 2007-08

Sierra Vista Academy Dedication 2006-07

Dr. Baracy and Dr. Himanshu Shukla, who donated Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to all 33 Scottsdale Unified School District schools. 2006-07

Dr. Baracy visits Michelle Simonson’s second grade class at Copper Ridge Elementary School 2006-07

Special Day for Special Kids event 2006-07

Chaparral High School Groundbreaking

Saguaro High School Groundbreaking

Dr. John M. Baracy

It is with both sadness and excitement that I reflect on the fact that this will be my last article before my retirement on October 31, 2008.

I’ve worked in school administration for 37 years. During that time, it has been a great honor to serve my community in a role that has allowed me to make changes that positively influenced the lives of many teachers and students. To me, that is a great gift. Whether working in a K-12 system or college setting or serving as superintendent, my goal has always been to give everyone an opportunity to excel in life by providing them with an outstanding educational experience.

Since joining Scottsdale Unified School District four years ago, I have worked with a wonderful team to improve morale among staff, help build programs for students and create a school district that surrounding districts strive to emulate. My goal was to return SUSD to its rightful standing as a pillar in the Arizona education system by focusing the community on the most important goal—providing an excelling education for every child in our District.

Those of you who read this column regularly know that my usual choice for a topic near the start of the school year is our START SMART program. This is one of many programs we implemented at SUSD in the past four years and one that I am particularly fond of. The primary goal is to emphasize the importance of the first day of school to increase attendance. School starts earlier this year—August 11th—and it is important that students be there the very first day.

This year we have a new twist to our START SMART program that is more student-centered than ever. I find it fitting that during my final START SMART campaign as your superintendent, we turned to our students to tell us why they think our District is great. After all, what better way to remind everyone to START SMART than by seeing it through the eyes of our students!

Finally, as I face the final start of a school year as your superintendent, I have great pride in our District. We have set a goal that all 33 of our schools will become excelling schools and we are well on our way to accomplishing that goal. We have also had tremendous parental involvement and have placed an emphasis on exceptional customer service. Most importantly, we have continually made our children our number one priority.

At the end of this long and rewarding career, I must thank our community for giving me the opportunity to serve it. As a boy from Detroit who was the first in his family to attend college, it was my dream to make a difference in the educational system. Now I can retire knowing that I have.

Sincerely,

Dr. John. M. Baracy
Superintendent
Scottsdale Unified School District