Featured Alumni

SHAEL POLAKOW-SURANSKY

The Broad Superintendents Academy Class of 2008
Chief Accountability Officer
New York City Department of Education

“Teachers and principals need to be accountable for student performance and empowered to make the critical decisions that impact their daily work to accelerate student learning.”

Shael Polakow-Suransky currently serves as chief accountability officer at the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), the largest district in the nation, serving over 1 million students.  In this role, Polakow-Suransky leads the Department's Division of Accountability and Achievement Resources which evaluates school performance and provides tools that educators and families use to accelerate achievement.  Previously, Polakow-Suransky served as chief academic officer for the Empowerment Schools at the NYCDOE where he had direct oversight for 236 NYCDOE Empowerment Schools and supervised 67 central and network staff. Prior to this position, he served as deputy chief executive officer for the NYCDOE Office of New Schools where he supported the department’s efforts to open 200 new small schools and 50 new charter schools. He has also served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and Leadership Academy faculty member in New York City. Polakow-Suransky has also founded two successful small high schools, most recently Bronx International High School, a school designed for at-risk recent immigrant students. He has a bachelor’s degree in education and urban studies from Brown University and a master’s in educational leadership from the Bank Street College of Education, Principal’s Institute.