Albion grad picked as new superintendent for ACS
Mickey Edwards, former Albion teacher and principal, has been leading Byron-Bergen school district
ALBION — The Board of Education has picked an Albion graduate to be the next district superintendent.
Mickey Edwards
Mickey Edwards started his career in Albion as an art teacher. From 2007 to 2009, Edwards was the Principal at Charles D’Amico High School. He also served as the Assistant Principal at Carl I. Bergerson Middle School for four years and interned as Dean of Students in Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School. Edwards lives in the district in Kent. His three children all graduated from the district.
The Board of Education this evening appointed Edwards to be superintendent. He is expected to start in mid-January to February 1, 2021.
“I am incredibly honored and grateful to the Board of Education for extending me the opportunity to serve as Albion’s next Superintendent of Schools,” Edwards said in a news release from the district. “My hope is to bring my experiences, skills and network of contacts to the district and help build upon our mission of Achievement, Character and Success for Life. I look forward to being a part of the team and serving our community together.”
After graduating from Albion, Edwards spent four years active duty in the United States Marine Corps before beginning his career as a teacher at Albion.
After working at ACS, he was the Coordinator of Curriculum and Instruction at Orleans-Niagara BOCES before gaining six years of experience as a superintendent. In 2014 he was appointed as the superintendent at Wyoming Central School District. He was there two years before being hired in 2016 as superintendent at Byron-Bergen Central School.
Under his leadership, Byron-Bergen Junior-Senior High School has been named to US News and World Report Best High Schools in the Nation for the last two years. Additionally, Edwards resurrected an agriculture and FFA program in the district after the program’s 40-year hiatus and worked to increase the amount of advanced college courses offered at the high school, including AP and Genesee Community College ACE Courses. He also implemented a program for trauma, illness and grief in the district to address the social and emotional needs of staff, students and families.
“The ACS Board of Education is pleased to welcome Mickey Edwards as our next Superintendent of Schools,” according to a statement from the board. “With input from stakeholders, the Board set out to find a superintendent who was a proven leader, of unquestioned integrity, with proven collaboration and communication skills and an ability to improve student performance and programs. We believe Mr. Edwards embodies not only these characteristics and qualities, but so much more. His experience as superintendent in two previous districts will allow him to hit the ground running, while his background as a lifelong Albion resident and Purple Eagle will provide him with a deeper understanding of school and community needs and the drive to fiercely advocate for our students.”
When he was at Albion previously, Edwards was on the committee that developed the district’s mission statement of “Achievement, Character, and Success for Life,” and still firmly stands by it. He believes the mission statement “needs to be part of everything we do, not just words on a wall.”
Edwards serves on a number of committees and boards across the Genesee Valley region including chairman for Career & Technical Education Committee, member of Legislative Committee, a representative in the House of Delegates for NYS Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) and the Board of Directors for Rural Schools Association and Genesee County Business Education Alliance.
“We would like to thank the students, parents, teachers, staff and community members who participated in focus groups and completed the superintendent search surveys,” the BOE stated. “The input provided was invaluable, and gave us the guidance we needed as we reviewed applications and interviewed candidates for the position.”
