The 2018 – 2019 school year is in full swing on Staten Island with some notable leadership changes. NYC Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza has realigned Department of Education leadership, appointing nine executive superintendents across the city. The changes include a new Staten Island executive superintendent, district superintendent, and five principals.
Executive Superintendent Anthony Lodico began his professional career as an English and Drama teacher at Port Richmond High School. He later served as assistant principal of Port Richmond High School, principal of Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, and superintendent of high schools in the Bronx and Manhattan. He has been superintendent for District 31 and Staten Island high schools since 2014, where he oversees 69 schools and three pre-k centers.
Superintendent Mrs. Vincenza Gallassio has 31 years of experience with the DOE. She has served as a Principal Leadership Facilitator (PLF) for the past three years in District 31. She was a principal for eleven years at PS 16 in Tompkinsville, during which time she moved the school from the State designation of Restructure to its current state of Good Standing. Under her leadership, the school showed progress in both the State ELA and Math in the subgroup of Lowest Performing Students.
Interim Acting Principals:
P.O. Rocco Laurie IS 72 – Jessica Jackson started her career 17 years ago as an English teacher at I.S 75 where she later became literacy coach, then AP of English and Special Education. She spent 15 years as a middle school educator. She has spent the past two years as a TDEC for the superintendent’s office supporting principals and assistant principals around the Danielson Framework for teaching. She has also been facilitating the rollout of Impact Teams in District 31 as well as contributing to many of the other initiatives and professional learning.
Port Richmond HS – Andrew Greenfield has lived and worked on Staten Island for most of his life. In 1993 Andrew began his career in education teaching social studies and serving as Dean of Students at Fort Hamilton High School. In 2001, Andrew returned to his alma mater, Port Richmond High School, where for 17 years he served as Assistant Principal of Administration supervising all the administrative tasks of the school, including budget, personnel, facilities, safety, and security. Throughout his 25-year career, Andrew has dedicated his time in helping at-risk teens and their families to improve their lives.
Public School 78 – Jodi Contento started as a classroom teacher in 2001 in District 20. She joined the PS 78 team the year the school was founded. She distinguished herself as an instructional leader and served as an instructional coach in her second year at the school. In 2014, Jodi became an assistant principal. She has led the work of impact teams and has ensured that community partnerships and teacher leadership correlate directly with the social-emotional wellbeing of students.
Dreyfus Intermediate School 49 – Lou Bruschi was the Founding Principal of Public School 78. The school has moved forward steadily in significant performance measures. Under his leadership the school attained the designation as a Community Learning School by the United Federation of Teachers followed by the additional designation of a Department of Education Community School. Mr. Bruschi has consistently ensured that community partners are the fabric of school. Prior to his principalship at PS 78, he worked in the Office of School Improvement serving as a School Improvement Liaison and then director. He started his career in District 21 as a teacher and then assistant principal in District 20.
Future Leaders Elementary School 74 – Hanin Hasweh has been an educator with the NYC Department of Education for 13 years. She started her career in Brooklyn, NY and became a founding teacher in 2010 when Future Leaders Elementary School opened as a new school. She continued to serve the learning community as a Math Coach and then as the first Assistant Principal. She will lead the school community as the acting principal for the 2018-2019 school year.
By Mike Reilly, District 31 Community Education Council President
