VP of Career and Technical High Schools

Sterling Roberson has devoted his entire public school career to ensuring that New York City’s students receive a quality academic education with practical skills, in a healthy and safe learning environment.  He brings this lifelong commitment to the post as Vice President for Career and Technical Education (CTE), to which he was elected in September 2009.

In the 1980s Sterling brought his electronics skills to shop classrooms, the precursor of today’s CTE, as a substitute teacher.  Committed to his students, Sterling entered the Substitute Vocational Assistant (SVA) Program, graduating in its inaugural class.  Currently termed “Success Via Apprenticeship,” this five-year internship program launched Sterling into full-time teaching, where he instructed students in electronics at Samuel Gompers High School for over nine years. 

Sterling seamlessly progressed from advancing safe conditions in the shop classroom to promoting safety throughout the school and surrounding community. He served for seven years as a violence prevention facilitator and school safety specialist for the UFT’s Victim Support Program and the union’s School Safety Department. 

A respected natural leader and relationship-builder, Sterling was named Director of School Safety, where he championed safety for UFT members and their students and bridged relations between the schools, law enforcement and the community.  Following the merger of UFT’s School Safety and Environmental Safety departments in 2006, Sterling assumed the helm as Director of the School Safety and Health Department until his transition in 2009 to the CTE vice presidency.