Mary Beth Fierro

Mary Beth Fierro has served Oswego City School District (OCSD) for 33 years as a high school math teacher, a technology and data specialist, and as an elementary and middle school principal. In her seven-year tenure at Oswego Middle School, she has drawn on her rich professional experience to cultivate a holistic, student-centered approach to middle years education. An accomplished mentor herself, Fierro has maintained and expanded partnerships with her alma mater to provide mentorship support for struggling students. One such initiative, the SUNY Mentor Scholar program, has become dually funded by SUNY Oswego and OCSD to staff an on-site coordinator, who collaborates with teachers and meets weekly with students to track academic and socio-emotional progress. Fierro has also championed professional development at Oswego Middle by offering a variety of opportunities for staff to elevate teaching and administration practices through shared learning. One of her recent book clubs, for example, responded to a demographic shift in the student population by supporting staff in learning about trauma-informed teaching practices. Fierro teaches as an adjunct professor in Le Moyne College’s Central New York Leadership Development Program, where her teaching has focused on social justice, school accountability, and culturally responsive leadership, among other topics. She holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Education and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Administration from the State University of New York at Oswego.