Raymond Sanchez
Raymond Sanchez is superintendent of the Ossining Union Free School District, a position he has held since 2013. He has has been an integral member of the district staff since 1998, starting as a fourth-grade teacher and serving in various leadership positions before he was appointed superintendent.
Sanchez has led the district of more than 5,000 students during a period of tremendous growth in student population. He has been widely applauded for his efforts to develop partnerships with community organizations, achieve educational equity, and meet the needs of all Ossining children and their families. Ossining is a leader in the educational equity movement, with district and school-by-school efforts to diversify literature, develop culturally responsive curriculum and engage students. Sanchez and other staff members provide presentations and training to districts across the state and nation on this and other topics, such as early childhood education and using data to identify disparities.
Sanchez is also leading the way in developing partnerships with local agencies, organizations and educational institutions to provide books, school supplies, food, clothing enrichment classes, parent training and technological assistance to students and parents. The district combined all these efforts into the OPRIME program in the fall of 2020.
Sanchez received several awards and honors in 2020 for his leadership, vision and outreach, including the Distinguished Service Award from his peers in the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents. He also earned recognition from Latino U College Access; the Ossining Children’s Center; and the Hanami Foundation, which works with the immigrant community. He received the 2017 Champions for Children Award from the Child Care Council of Westchester; the 2017 Partnership Award from Pace University; the 2016 Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from the University Council for Education Administration; and the 2016 Government Service Award from the Westchester Community Opportunity Program Inc. In 2017, he was named a “Superintendent to Watch” by the National School Public Relations Association. He is a past recipient of the Raymond Delaney Award from the New York State Council of School Superintendents.
Sanchez is a veteran leader among his colleagues, serving as president of the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents for two terms. He currently serves on the boards of Feeding Westchester and the Jacob Burns Film Center, and he is a member of the Food for Life Council. His previous leadership positions include serving as president of the Lower Hudson Council of School Personnel Administrators, president of the Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Curriculum Council, member of the Teatown Nature Preservation Board of Trustees, and member of the Future School Leadership Academy advisory board. He also has shared his expertise as an adjunct professor at Mercy College, Manhattanville College and Bank Street College of Education.
Sanchez received his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Manhattanville College, earning the Doctoral Outstanding Leadership Award in 2019. He also holds advanced education degrees and certificates from Fordham University, Columbia University and Long Island University. He earned his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Geneseo.
