Guilford County School Board Says New Superintendent 'Will Take Us Where We Want To Go'

The Guilford County School System will soon have a new leader. The school board voted this week to appoint Sharon Contreras as the district's new superintendent. She'll be the first woman to officially hold the full-time post.

"Dr. Contreras was selected by the board of education with more votes than any of our previous two superintendents in the affirmative, and I think that speaks of the board coming together and recognizing she can and will be a true asset to our community," says Amos Quick, board of education vice chairman.

Dr. Contreras is a former English teacher and has 25 years of experience in education. Currently, she's the superintendent at Syracuse City School District in New York, which is also part of the Say Yes To Education campaign. The organization provides seed money and infrastructure to create a program that will fund financial support for college tuition. Guilford County will award its first set of scholarships this year.

Quick says they received nearly 30 applications for the vacancy. He says Contreras' personality and accomplishments made her standout among other candidates.

“What impressed me the most about her is the constant refrain of we must teach every child to the maximum of their abilities,” says Quick. “What I also liked about her is that she wasn't afraid to do new and different things as it relates to discipline."

Quick says that includes decreasing the number unnecessary suspensions for incidents that are non-violent. Contreras is expected to begin her new job with Guilford County Schools in September. Her starting salary will be $250,000 a year.

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