Justin Murphy Rochester Democrat and Chronicle USA TODAY NETWORK Sixteen years after first gaining election to the Rochester school board, Cynthia Elliott earlier this month was voted board president by her colleagues.
She succeeds Van White, who did not run for reelection. The vice president is Beatriz LeBron.
Elliott, 66, has a long career of community organizing and advocacy in Rochester, in particular with Baden Street Settlement. She got her start in voter registration and political campaigning with the FIGHT organization when she was still a teenager.
In her five successful election campaigns and throughout her time on the school board, Elliott has presented herself above all as a community member. She has consistently advocated for hiring more Black teachers , presenting a more culturally relevant curriculum and adding social-emotional supports for students.