BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Dr. Ebony Prophet-Bullock was sworn in as Buffalo Public Schools interim superintendent, taking the helm of Western New York's largest school district ahead of the new school year.
The Buffalo Public Schools board voted Prophet-Bullock into the position following the sudden resignation of Dr. Pascal Mubenga.
Prophet-Bullock comes from a legacy of Buffalo Public School educators. Her mother, Dr. Theresa Anne Harris-Tigg, served on the board for 2 terms, including as vice president. Prophet-Bullock spent 10 years as a teacher and 16 years as an administrator. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the University at Buffalo.
"I'm going to implement the things that I share with my students at UB. I'm going to implement the lessons that my mother taught me," Prophet-Bullock said.
School leaders will undergo 6 weeks of training to ensure they are ready to meet students' needs ahead of the new school year. Prophet-Bullock outlined her top 3 areas of focus.
"We're going to make sure that kids get to school on time and where they need wraparound services. We're going to make sure that they have them and we're also going to wrap ourselves around our teachers and our leaders to make sure that they feel supported and ready to give their best to our students," Prophet-Bullock said.
Following her swearing-in, Prophet-Bullock delivered an empowering speech to onlookers, including Buffalo students.
"I want to make sure that any one of our students can walk in proudly to Brown, Cornell, to UB to U of R, to MIT, to wherever they want to go," Prophet-Bullock said.
BPS Board President Dr. Kathy Evans-Brown praised the new interim superintendent.
"She's a staple in this community and she has over 20-something years in the district, very knowledgeable about data, about accountability," Evans-Brown said.
When asked about the search for a permanent superintendent, Evans-Brown addressed the timeline.
"Absolutely will be a search, but not right away," Evans-Brown said.
Buffalo students head back to school in just four weeks, on September 3.
