Redesigning Education. Reimagining Readiness.
NY Inspires is reshaping what it means to be a student in New York State. The destination is clear. The work now is building the systems that will bring that vision to life. Ulster BOCES will help you co-design coherent systems aligned with the New York State Education Department and NY Inspires that meet your district's custom needs.
Custom, signature, and a la carte learning experiences are available to provide high-impact, targeted support aligned to district priorities. These supports extend and deepen implementation beyond core engagement. Check out our focused, flexible, and scalable professional learning opportunities.
Framework for Local Design Rooted in Equity for All.
The Ulster BOCES NY Inspires Design Cycle Playbook, a human-centered framework that moves leaders from vision to coherent, actionable system redesign, is a tool for implementing NY Inspires. The Playbook brings structure, pacing, and clarity to complex transformation work — all grounded in Ulster BOCES’ longstanding reputation for high-quality, statewide leadership and professional learning.
Through structured learning sessions and sustained implementation support, Ulster BOCES and its trusted partners help districts translate policy into actionable design — so they can move forward with confidence.
NY Inspires Season of L4DL Podcast
The Leading for Deeper Learning podcast is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, as well as on YouTube. Listen here!
NY Inspires Playbook
The NY Inspires Transformation Design Cycles Playbook is an essential guide for New York school districts committed to reimagining education. Order your copy!
NY Inspires Keynote Experiences
Before systems can change, leaders and stakeholders need a shared understanding of where New York education is headed—and why it matters for every student.
Dr. Jonah Schenker delivers engaging, customized keynotes that help educators, community members, and leaders understand the shift before us and take meaningful next steps. Connect with us to explore availability and design a keynote experience tailored to your needs.
Design in Action
![picture of airplanes]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1773944074/ulsterbocesorg/wbwpmvn2o0i6fl6rh2km/ScreenShot2026-03-19at21424PM.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1773944074/ulsterbocesorg/wbwpmvn2o0i6fl6rh2km/ScreenShot2026-03-19at21424PM.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1773944074/ulsterbocesorg/wbwpmvn2o0i6fl6rh2km/ScreenShot2026-03-19at21424PM.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1773944074/ulsterbocesorg/wbwpmvn2o0i6fl6rh2km/ScreenShot2026-03-19at21424PM.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1773944074/ulsterbocesorg/wbwpmvn2o0i6fl6rh2km/ScreenShot2026-03-19at21424PM.png","width":1340}])
District Superintendent Jonah Schenker was published on DistrictAdministration in an article titled "How NY Inspires can guide other states in rethinking graduation."
Read to the article here.
![picture of airplanes]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1788896258/ulsterbocesorg/bocaxhzixcdaceqjvpus/ScreenShot2026-09-08at33508PM.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1788896258/ulsterbocesorg/bocaxhzixcdaceqjvpus/ScreenShot2026-09-08at33508PM.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1788896258/ulsterbocesorg/bocaxhzixcdaceqjvpus/ScreenShot2026-09-08at33508PM.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1788896258/ulsterbocesorg/bocaxhzixcdaceqjvpus/ScreenShot2026-09-08at33508PM.png","width":1172}])
District Superintendent Jonah Schenker was featured on the podcast "Achieving Joy and Mastery in Public Schools."
Listen to the episode here.
![Jonah Schenker, Dr. Gwendolyn Roraback, Superintendent of the Saugerties Central School District Dr. Paul Padalino, Superintendent of the Kingston City School District Anthony White, Superintendent of the Wallkill Central School District]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1779802393/ulsterbocesorg/lh7kztjuekeatf7cgfkm/SuperintendentRoundtable.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1779802393/ulsterbocesorg/lh7kztjuekeatf7cgfkm/SuperintendentRoundtable.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1779802393/ulsterbocesorg/lh7kztjuekeatf7cgfkm/SuperintendentRoundtable.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1779802393/ulsterbocesorg/lh7kztjuekeatf7cgfkm/SuperintendentRoundtable.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1779802393/ulsterbocesorg/lh7kztjuekeatf7cgfkm/SuperintendentRoundtable.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1779802393/ulsterbocesorg/lh7kztjuekeatf7cgfkm/SuperintendentRoundtable.png","width":1920}])
In the latest episode of Leading for Deeper Learning with Ulster BOCES, District Superintendent Dr. Jonah Schenker convenes three Ulster County school leaders for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, student-centered learning, and the future of public education through the lens of the New York Inspires initiative.
![Dr Jonah Schenker sitting in front of a microphone]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1776947249/ulsterbocesorg/scunaa5pwzlljncbton7/DrJonahSchenkerL4DLPodcast3.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1776947249/ulsterbocesorg/scunaa5pwzlljncbton7/DrJonahSchenkerL4DLPodcast3.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1776947249/ulsterbocesorg/scunaa5pwzlljncbton7/DrJonahSchenkerL4DLPodcast3.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1776947249/ulsterbocesorg/scunaa5pwzlljncbton7/DrJonahSchenkerL4DLPodcast3.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1776947249/ulsterbocesorg/scunaa5pwzlljncbton7/DrJonahSchenkerL4DLPodcast3.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1776947249/ulsterbocesorg/scunaa5pwzlljncbton7/DrJonahSchenkerL4DLPodcast3.jpg","width":2200}])
Dr. Jonah Schenker, District Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer of Ulster BOCES, has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 National School Development Council (NSDC) Cooperative Leadership Award, a national honor recognizing outstanding leadership and collaboration in education.
!["Our current sustem has some tragic flaws inherent in it. There's an opportunity right now to disrupt some of those foundational things and cast a new vision." Dr. Jonah Schenker]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1774271912/ulsterbocesorg/ke7j1xtri3jbifw6nyz6/ScreenShot2026-03-23at91709AM.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1774271912/ulsterbocesorg/ke7j1xtri3jbifw6nyz6/ScreenShot2026-03-23at91709AM.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1774271912/ulsterbocesorg/ke7j1xtri3jbifw6nyz6/ScreenShot2026-03-23at91709AM.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1774271912/ulsterbocesorg/ke7j1xtri3jbifw6nyz6/ScreenShot2026-03-23at91709AM.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1774271912/ulsterbocesorg/ke7j1xtri3jbifw6nyz6/ScreenShot2026-03-23at91709AM.png","width":1294}])
Join the conversation with Dr. Jonah Schenker, District Superintendent of Ulster BOCES, who is a guest on NTN Unpacked, a national podcast focused on redesigning education systems.
![Leading for deeper learning]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1770994826/ulsterbocesorg/dbnfdkzx6rfx2tiq7drh/UlsterBocesS2E11.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1770994826/ulsterbocesorg/dbnfdkzx6rfx2tiq7drh/UlsterBocesS2E11.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1770994826/ulsterbocesorg/dbnfdkzx6rfx2tiq7drh/UlsterBocesS2E11.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1770994826/ulsterbocesorg/dbnfdkzx6rfx2tiq7drh/UlsterBocesS2E11.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1770994826/ulsterbocesorg/dbnfdkzx6rfx2tiq7drh/UlsterBocesS2E11.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1770994826/ulsterbocesorg/dbnfdkzx6rfx2tiq7drh/UlsterBocesS2E11.png","width":1920}])
Season 2 is here! Leading for Deeper Learning with Ulster BOCES is back—and this year we’re focusing on NY Inspires, New York State’s multi-year transformation of what it means to be a graduate.
What is NY Inspires?
Adopting Portrait of a Graduate
Students must demonstrate proficiency in both the NYS Portrait of a Graduate and the NYS high school learning standards.
Refining Credits & Learning Experiences
Students’ learning experiences and future diploma requirements will expand the ways students can demonstrate proficiency.
Sunset Diploma Assessment Requirements
Students may continue to use State administered exams to satisfy future diploma requirements, but they will not be required to pass Regents Exams to earn their diploma.
Move to One Diploma
All students who satisfy future requirements will earn a NYS high school diploma. Advanced designation will become a seal or endorsement.
Education should be a canvas for every student’s future. Our students deserve learning that connects to real-world challenges and passions.
Through project-based learning, internships, and hands-on experiences, we’re preparing curious, compassionate leaders ready to solve complex problems. Students are developing skills, earning certifications, and exploring careers in fields such as healthcare, manufacturing, and public health.
NY Inspires is driving change statewide, scaling what works so that all students experience rigorous, relevant, and future-focused learning. We’re turning proven practices into a unified vision that empowers students and prepares them for a changing world.
-New York State Education Department