Weekly Message from the Superintendent

Dear SPS Community:

Congratulations to Board of Education President Andy George who recently achieved the designation “Certified Board of Education Member” from the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE). Andy was one of five BOE members recognized by CABE for their professional development activities during the 2025-26 school year. A school board member must accumulate at least 20 professional development credits to earn this distinction. Credits can be earned in a number of areas of study, including board relations, policy, curriculum, school finance, school law, labor relations, and board operations. 

Andy is currently Stamford’s longest-serving BOE member, having first joined the Board in 2015. His commitment to continuous learning sets a wonderful example for our entire school community.  

Our series of Coffee and Conversation events begins next week. These events, which are open to parents, guardians, and staff from all schools and programs, are an opportunity to discuss what’s working well, where we can improve, and how we can Build Together to better serve students. 

Please register in ParentSquare to join us for an upcoming Coffee & Conversation:   

• Thursday, October 1 at 7 pm (Davenport Ridge Elementary School)
• Monday, October 19 at 6:30 pm (SPS Welcome Center) - meeting presented in Spanish
• Wednesday, October 21 at 7 pm (Westover Magnet School)
• Thursday, November 12 at 7 pm (Rogers International School)

Please join us for the district's Magnet School Information Session on Monday, September 28 at either 9 am or 7 pm via Zoom. Each session will provide an overview of the magnet school program, the controlled lottery process, admission priorities, and what families should know before applying. If your family is entering the lottery for a seat at one of our seven magnet schools for 2027-28, I strongly encourage you to attend this webinar. 

As I shared with the BOE last week, the retention rate for our certified educators was 93.4% for the recently-completed 2025-26 school year, an increase of 2 percentage points from the 2024-25 school year. A retention rate of more than 90 percent is extremely positive news for the district and our students.  

It’s important to keep in mind that retention means a teacher remained with Stamford Public Schools, but not necessarily in the same school or role as the previous year. For instance, newer teachers tend to move more frequently from school to school, while many mid-career teachers may choose to transition from the classroom to an educator specialist or teacher leader role. 

In a district that employs more than 1,400 certified educators across 23 schools and programs, there are many opportunities for our certified educators to build their professional capacity, and we are pleased that so many of our teachers choose to remain with us year after year. 

Cybersecurity Grant

On Tuesday night, the BOE voted to accept a $466,000 grant awarded to Stamford Public Schools through the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program. This grant, which was a collaboration between the City of Stamford and SPS, will help improve the district’s overall ability to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from cyber threats. This funding represents a significant step forward in securing our digital infrastructure and protecting our community's data. 

Thank you for reading, and thank you for being an important part of the Stamford Public Schools community. 

Sincerely, 

Adrian B. Talley, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Automated Speed Enforcement Program

The City of Stamford is launching an Automated Speed Enforcement Program at 14 locations in seven school zones across the city.

The speed cameras are scheduled to be operational in October. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to improve roadway safety and advance the goals of Stamford’s Vision Zero Program.

Speed cameras will be located near Cloonan Middle School, Dolan Middle School, Julia A. Stark Elementary, K.T. Murphy Elementary, Springdale Elementary, Stamford High School, and Strawberry Hill School.

Important aspects of the program include:

• Vehicle owners will be ticketed for exceeding the posted speed limit by 11 MPH or more.
• The program will begin with a 45-day warning period, during which drivers who exceed the enforcement threshold will receive a warning rather than a fine.
• Following the warning period, violations will result in a $50 fine for a first offense and $75 for subsequent offenses.
• Speed camera enforcement fines are a civil penalty and will not be assessed against the owner’s driver’s license or insurance.

More information on the program can be found on the city’s website.