As Deputy Director,
she supervised school programs of the Metro Center and directed
day-to-day operations of the Metro Center; as Director of External
Relations for the Center, she directs all Metro Center publications
and products, oversees Metro Center's public relations marketing
and external programs and supervises the Information Management
Program. She began her career in education as a teacher in
the Language Arts Department. From there, she was named first
as Principal, then as Director of Instruction and finally,
Assistant Superintendent. She joined the Abbott Union Free
District in 1982 as a Superintendent, retiring as a superintendent
in 1989.
Among
the accomplishments attributed to Dr. Gray, is the design
and development of a plan for the reorganization of the
New Rochelle Public Schools in 1980 to address the twin
problems of minority isolation and declining enrollment.
During her administrative tenure, Dr. Gray was honored
by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Alliance
for Arts Education as an outstanding educator contributing
to and supporting the arts in education.
She
has been recognized by: the Dean of the School of Education
at New York University with a Faculty Award for Outstanding
Service, the Executive Educator of the National School
Boards Association as one of the "100 Outstanding
Educators in Small School Districts in North America," and
the Congressional Black Caucus Education Braintrust for
her Excellence and Equity in Education. Other awards include
the Prestigious Evelyn Campbell Award (former Wisconsin
Commissioner of Education) from the American Association
of School Administrators. The Social Justice Award from
the Young Women's Christian Association; a Humanitarian
Award from the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce for the
desegregation of the New Rochelle Public Schools.
Her
growing list of publications includes: "White and
Black Females in the Classroom," American Educational
Journal (1998); "The Best For Our Children: The Sherburne-Earlville
Story," Metro Center Press, New York University (1993); "Women
of Color: In a Different Context," from An Action
Plan for Equity in New York State Education Administration,
New York State Congress of School Administrator Organizations
Publications (1994); "The Twin Problems of Declining
Enrollment and Fiscal Constraints; A Dissemination Model
for Community-Based Decision-Making for the Experience
of the City School District of New Rochelle"; Monograph,
City School District of New Rochelle, New York (1983); "Aspirations
and Achievements of Italian and Black American Youths in
the New Rochelle Public Schools". ERIC Document (1978); "Urban
Education by Whom? For Whom?"
Impact, Vol. 13, No. 2, New York State Association of Curriculum
and Development (1971); a book, "The Urban Nomad: A
Study of the Abused and Neglected Paradigm for the African-American
Teenager"
(in progress); and "Charter Schools: An Answer to Closing
the Achievement Gap for Urban Education?" (in progress).
Currently,
Dr. Gray holds office and maintains membership in numerous
professional and community organizations that reflect her
intense devotion to quality of life improvement including:
the Westchester Library System (as Past President) and
the Westchester Arts Council (as current President Emeritus)
She is a member of the Board of Directors of both the Katonah
Art Museum and the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation.
Professionally
and currently, she serves as a representative for New York
University's Metro Center to the Organization of Institute
Affiliates of the American Educational Research Association
and Governmental Relations Liaison to the National Alliance
of Black School Educators Board of Directors, as Chair
of the standing Program Committee of the American Educational
Research Association.
Formerly,
she served the Martin Luther King Child Development Center
(as President Emeritus), the United States Service Academy
Review Board, 20th Congressional District, the American
Education Research Association (as Chair of the Palmer
Johnson Memorial Committee), the African American Advisory
Committee to Westchester County Executives (as Chair of
the Education Committee), the Board of Directors of the
Westchester Children's Association and the March of Dimes,
as well as a member of the New York State Commissioner's
Advisory Panel for Children with Handicapping Conditions.
Dr.
Gray is married to Joseph Morgan, an educator also, and
is the mother of Diendra Gray, an executive in the Office
of the County Executive Andy Spano of Westchester County,
and Phillip Gray, an associate in the Oracle Corporation.
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