Assembly Resolution No. 476

BY: M. of A. Barclay

HONORING Mary Beth Fierro upon the occasion of her
designation as recipient of the 2017 New York State
Middle School Principal of the Year Award by the
School Administrators Association of New York State

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to honor and
recognize those dedicated individuals, who strive to enhance the quality
of education for our students, and whose accomplishments, character, and
community commitment inspire all citizens of this great Empire State;
and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Mary Beth Fierro upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of
the 2017 New York State Middle School Principal of the Year Award by the
School Administrators Association of New York State, celebrated on
Friday, May 5, 2017, at the Century House in Latham, New York; and

WHEREAS, The School Administrators Association of New York State
(SAANYS), which represents nearly 7,200 school administrators,
supervisors, and coordinators in the State of New York, is committed to
providing direction, service and support to its members; and

WHEREAS, The New York State Middle School Principal of the Year
Award is given annually to a member of SAANYS who has set the pace,
character and quality of education for the children in his or her
school; and

WHEREAS, Upon graduation from SUNY Oswego with her Bachelor of
Science degree, Master of Science degree and certificate of advanced
studies, Mary Beth Fierro began her distinguished career in education;
and

WHEREAS, An educator of more than 30 years, Mary Beth Fierro has
held the esteemed position of Principal of Oswego Middle School for six
years; in this capacity, she has worked diligently to lift up the school
from School in Need of Improvement (SINI) status from the State
Education Department to a flourishing school with a shared vision for
all students and staff; and

WHEREAS, Under her luminous leadership, Oswego Middle School has
seen a 64% reduction of disciplinary referrals in the last five years, a
direct result of a careful review of discipline data, and proactively
implementing measures such as faculty and staff professional development
on working with at-risk students, and introducing a strong character
program within the school; and

WHEREAS, Mary Beth Fierro has also implemented several mentor
programs for students at the middle school including the Mentor-Scholar
program, where at-risk students are paired with a mentor from SUNY
Oswego School of Education, working one-on-one with their mentee twice
per week after school and the Mentor STEM program centered on forensics

and robotics, which provide supplemental programming to highly
interested students; and

WHEREAS, In addition, Mary Beth Fierro enacted the Standards Based
Online Learning Program (PLATO) Learning Lab, which enables students to
work at their own pace while benefitting from personalized instruction
from a dedicated classroom teacher; and

WHEREAS, Mary Beth Fierro's commitment to excellence for all
students is evident in her leadership and love for Oswego Middle School;
and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to now record its
recognition and appreciation in honoring an outstanding educational
leader, whose dedication and achievements have been instrumental in
developing character and academic excellence in her students; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Mary Beth Fierro upon the occasion of her designation as recipient
of the 2017 New York State Middle School Principal of the Year Award by
the School Administrators Association of New York State; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Mary Beth Fierro.