Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña made good on her promise to shake up the school system's superintendents by replacing eight of them and filling another seven vacancies. The move comes after she said earlier this year that she wanted more experienced educators to oversee the city's principals.
The city has 32 community superintendents, who oversee elementary and middle schools in geographic districts. There are also 10 high school superintendents. Fariña had said she wanted all of them to have at least 10 years of teaching experience, plus at least three years as a "successful principal."
Two incumbent superintendents did not meet the guidelines, Anita Skop in Brooklyn's District 15 and Gale Reeves in Manhattan's District 5, but were grandfathered in because the criteria only applied to new hires. Still, the Department of Education said the chancellor and Senior Deputy Chancellor Dorita Gibson conducted a "rigorous interview process" in making everyone reapply for their jobs and in filling the openings.
In her statement, Fariña said the decisions were common sense.
"I want leaders at the helm who understand what it takes to ensure a supportive school community, and this is an exciting step forward to make sure our school system creates environments where all students and school staff will thrive," she said.
The superintendents are responsible for hiring and overseeing principals. Their jobs were diminished greatly during Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration, after he persuaded Albany to give him direct control over the school system. The previous administration also created support networks for schools which diluted the superintendents' role. Fariña has said she will maintain the networks, while beefing up the role of superintendents.
Fariña welcomed the new and continuing superintendents Tuesday for a professional development session in Brooklyn financed by the Wallace Foundation. The Department of Education said the 32 district superintendents will all meet with their community education councils, the teachers union, the principals union and PTA's to finalize the hiring process. High school superintendents can be appointed directly by the chancellor.
The eight new superintendents are:
District 2 - Bonnie Laboy, previously a high school superintendent
District 8 – Karen Ames, previously a network leader
District 11 – Maria Lopez, previously principal of M.S. 318 in the Bronx
District 12 – Rafaela Espinal, previously a P.S. 147 in Brooklyn
District 17 – Clarence Ellis, previously a cluster leader in charge of networks
District 22 – Julia Bove, previously a network leader
District 26 – Danielle Giunta, previously a principal of P.S. 154 in Queens
District 28 – Mabel Muniz-Sarduy, previously principal of P.S. 86 in Brooklyn and president of the N.Y.C. Elementary School Principals Association
Additionally, seven of the new superintendents were hired in the spring to fill vacancies.
District 6 – Manuel Ramirez, previously principal of P.S. 327 in the Bronx
District 9 – Leticia Rodriquez Rosario, previously principal of P.S./I.S. 218 Rafael Hernandez Dual Language Magnet School
District 27 – Mary Barton, previously principal P.S. 236 in Brooklyn
District 31 – Anthony Lodico, previously a principal of Edward R. Murrow High School
High School – Michael Prayor, previously principal of Brooklyn High School for Law and Technology
High School – Fred Walsh, previously principal for the School of International Studies in Brooklyn
Transfer High School – LaShawn Robinson, previously principal of Brownsville Academy High School