As I head into my third year as superintendent, there are encouraging signs of progress across the Camden City School District: In the last year alone, the graduation rate rose six points, more students attended pre-school than ever before, and students, staff and families all reported feeling safer.

But we need to keep pushing forward. Even though the graduation rate is up, for example, nearly four in 10 high school students are still not graduating on time.

That’s why I joined dozens of parents at a local elementary school on Wednesday to release our updated school improvement plan, All Schools Rise: Phase Two of the Camden Commitment.

Just like the original strategic plan, the Camden Commitment, All Schools Rise reflects community input. Through an online survey and five community meetings this summer, we heard from more than 500 students, educators, parents, and residents.

This feedback is infused in the new plan, which keeps the promises we set in the Camden Commitment in January 2014 — improving safety, buildings and technology, teaching and learning, parent engagement and Central Office effectiveness — and incorporates new action steps that will help us achieve them.

To continue reading Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard's commentary, please visit: http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/opinion/columnists/2015/09/30/commentary-camden-schools-can-rise/73098182/