After working for nine years as the Syracuse parks commissioner, self-proclaimed ‘life-long Syracusean’ Pat Driscoll is stepping into new territory.

Driscoll, born and raised in Syracuse, will become the local leader of the Syracuse Say Yes to Education program on March 15. Since stepping down from his former position Jan. 22, he has begun working toward his new role. He attended meetings with Say Yes employees and spoke to students Thursday at Dr. King Elementary School about staying involved in Say Yes.

The Say Yes program is a national nonprofit organization that focuses on improving the academic performance of students in urban areas. Syracuse has adopted the program and reached out to all public schools in the city.

‘I have three kids in Syracuse city public schools. I know the Say Yes program has made an impact on the kids and their families in our school district, and I know they’re very committed to the city of Syracuse,’ Driscoll said.

Driscoll has several ideas for the future of the Syracuse program, including reaching out to volunteers and retired teachers who would each help three to four kids read or do homework, he said.

Driscoll likes to think of the Syracuse Say Yes program as a puzzle, he said.

‘There are lots of different moving parts, and my job is to be able to make sure that the moving parts are moving in the right direction,’ he said.

Many colleges and universities are a part of the Say Yes program, including State University of New York schools, City University of New York schools and 23 other private colleges and universities, said Christopher Walsh, director of the higher education initiative for the Syracuse Say Yes program.

Walsh said he believes Driscoll is a great candidate for the job because he lives in Syracuse.

‘He has a lot of experience,’ Walsh said. ‘He’s a city resident, he’s very familiar with the school district, and he has excellent leadership skills.’

Say Yes provides social, emotional, financial and health care support, as well as legal advice, for students who complete the program and choose to go to a college affiliated with it, Walsh said.

But in light of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s state budget cuts, Driscoll said he is not sure if education cuts will affect the Say Yes program.

‘We are still waiting to hear about that,’ he said. ‘We hope not.’

The spending plan from the House of Representatives could cause the U.S. Department of Education to rescind a $400,000 grant SU receives to support the Say Yes program in Syracuse schools, according to an article published Sunday in The Post-Standard.

SU officials have asked for help to preserve the grant, according to the article. SU has drawn $132,000 of the grant money, said Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs, in the article. He also said the Say Yes program is critical for the city, university and region.

Driscoll is the right man for the new position in the Say Yes program because he is all about the youth, both academically and recreationally, said John Walsh, deputy commissioner of the Syracuse Parks, Recreation and Youth program. Driscoll is very supportive of youth sports, including hockey, basketball and football, he said.

‘He will make it a better program,’ he said. ‘Anything he puts his hands on is a success.’

As parks commissioner, Driscoll said he was responsible for the administration and operation of recreational programs, including events in Clinton Square, facility maintenance of parks and the overseeing of the Syracuse dog control division.

Driscoll is looking forward to bringing his skills to his new job because he is able to collaborate with many different neighborhoods, he said.

‘As park commissioner, I was able to build a lot of collaborations,’ he said. ‘I’d like to bring that skill set to Say Yes to Education because there are a lot of different partners involved to make it successful, whether it’s Syracuse University or city school districts.’

The program is always looking for people to donate money, Driscoll said. At the Jan. 22 SU men’s basketball game versus Villanova, fans donated more than $250,000 through a text-to-donate campaign, Driscoll said.

‘That was a wonderful tribute,’ he said. ‘Folks in our community believe in the program. They believe it is a game-changer, so to speak.’

Driscoll said he hopes to raise awareness about the program for families and the community, as well as create a future model for other cities utilizing the program. Syracuse is the first citywide implementation of the program.

Said Driscoll: ‘I hope that another municipality, maybe in another state, says, ‘Wow, they’re doing great things with the Syracuse Say Yes program, how do we climb on board?”

snbouvia@syr.edu

 

Published on February 20, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Stephanie: snbouvia@syr.edu | @snbouvia