Rosalind Gaines-Harrell will be honored at the upcoming 2019 Black & White Scholarship Ball.  Ms. Gaines-Harrell will receive the Chapter’s Distinguished Educational Leadership Award.  Ms. Gaines-Harrell, a 26-year veteran of Albany City School District, previously has been recognized for outstanding service and dedication to students and families by her fellow administrators within the City School District of Albany. Most recently, the Capital Area Principals and Supervisors Association (CAPSA) named Rosalind Gaines-Harrell as Administrator of the Year for her strong leadership and incredible dedication to the students, staff, families and neighborhood of Arbor Hill Elementary School.

The award recognizes area administrators who consistently perform at a superior level. Gaines-Harrell was instrumental in Arbor Hill Elementary's marked improvement from a Priority School to a School in Good Standing, according to accountability data released by the State Education Department for 2018-19.

Gaines-Harrell has spent her entire career educating children in the City School District of Albany. She first worked as a teacher and ATLAS coordinator at Arbor Hill Elementary for 13 years. Then, she spent four years as an assistant principal at Albany High School, ultimately returning to Arbor Hill Elementary as principal 11 years ago.

She has a B.S. in Education from the College of Saint Rose. She continued her educational pursuits at SUNY Albany, where she received her Master of Science Degree in Reading and later at the College of St. Rose, earning her certification in School District Administration. 

For the past two years, she has provided professional development with the Assistant Principals of Albany City School District, hoping to be a launchpad to continually grow the next generation of academic leaders, guiding them into the principal’s chair.  Ms. Gaines-Harrell is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.