Dr. Carol Burris

Principal
South Side High School, Rockville Centre UFSD

"Few have done more for education in the State of New York than Carol Burris," wrote Dr. Burris's award nominator. A long and successful record of achievement in educational reform proves this declaration to be true. Dr. Carol Burris is an outspoken leader in education and a staunch student advocate who believes in a fully integrated school system where all students are challenged appropriately and treated equally. Her goal is as straightforward as it is noble -- that every child in New York State be given the best opportunity to receive the highest standard of education possible.

Dr. Burris's work to reform key elements of the educational system -- including the state assessments, common core curriculum and APPR (the annual professional performance review for teachers) -- has captured the attention of a number of educational policymakers including the New York State Board of Regents. She has influenced almost every stakeholder, from politicians and legislators to teachers and parents. She has earned the admiration and respect of top educational experts, such as former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch and Valerie Strauss, Education Reporter for The Washington Post.

Dr. Burris has written extensively on her work. She is the co-author of Detracking for Excellence and Equity and Opening the Common Core: How to Bring ALL Students to College and Career Readiness, and is the sole author of the recently published On the Same Track: How Schools Can Join the 21st Century Struggle Against Re-segregation. Dr. Burris has contributed to numerous articles on school equity, which have appeared in respected publications including The American Education Research Journal, Teachers College Record, The Kappan and Educational Leadership.

She has garnered several awards over the years. In 2003 she earned the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Middle Level Dissertation of the Year award. In 2010, she was named an "Outstanding Educator" by the School Administrators Association of New York. And in 2013, she received NASSP's New York State High School Principal of the Year award. Considered an expert in her field, she has been asked to share her expertise with CBS News and The Washington Post.

For the past 15 years, Dr. Burris has served as the Principal of South Side High School in Rockville Centre. Under her leadership, the school has been thoroughly detracked and every student is currently enrolled in International Baccalaureate (IB) English.