S T E A D FA S T
servanthood
Dr. Andrea Berry | Superintendent, School District of the City of York BY JONATHAN DESMARAIS DIRECTOR, DOWNTOWN INC
For Dr. Andrea J. Berry, Superintendent of the York City Public School District, the challenges may be great, but the sources of motivation are even greater. She explains, “seeing the underdog, the students that people often give up on finding success is motivation for me.” While not a native of York, Dr. Berry is proud to call York home. As a product of the Jersey City Public School District, she went on to pursue degrees at Cheyney University, Western Maryland University (now McDaniel College), and Argosy University. Prior to coming to York, she worked on the Eastern Shore of Maryland as an elementary teacher, principal, and district-level supervisor.
“Our students are definitely not the problem. They’re the solution.”
After being promoted from Assistant Superintendent to Superintendent three years ago, she has been able to advance positive change. Most noticeably, with the transition to virtual learning during the 2020-2021 school year, Dr. Berry instituted the district-wide Wellness Wednesdays initiative, turning school buildings into community hubs, offering families and students mental health services, social services, and even COVID-19 vaccines. In addition, with the support of community partners Family First Health and Communities in Schools, street teams were assembled by the District’s Pandemic Committee to provide in-person services to students and their families. This holistic approach reaped numerous benefits after the students returned to in-person learning this past school year.
10 • YoCo CONNECT | SPRING 2022 • Leading Transformation Through Education
