I just got word that a new interim acting principal has been assigned to PS 20 and by all accounts she is AMAZING. Lena Barbera has been an AP at the lovely PS 261. She had been at 261 since 1996 as a teacher and Math Coach. It sounds like the teachers working with her will have a lot of support because she worked at 261 implementing new curriculum and modeling instructional practices for new teachers. She has been an AP for 5 years. She is a graduate of of Hunter College and Brooklyn College.
For a little more information and a lovely picture (so you can say hi when you see her on the street) you can check out her bio on the PS 261 website
Update: A few people have written to ask what "interim acting" means. "Before a principal or assistant principal is permanently appointed, the DoE often appoints an Interim Acting (IA) principal or assistant principal." this is from the blog jd2718 which explains the appointment process from a UFT teacher's point of view. The interim acting principal goes through the C30 hiring process to be permanently appointed to a school. I was on a C30 committee as a parent a few years ago. A committee is collected of "parent, teacher, school staff, administrator union, and Department of Education (through Region, District etc) personnel." The job is advertised and candidates including the "interim acting principal" are interviewed and their qualifications reviewed. In my situation there was never any doubt that we wanted the interim acting principal to have the job as the best possible candidate. The jd2718 describes it as merely a rubber stamp process. I can't speak to that. I do hope that a new candidate from a strong and well respected program who has considerable skills and experience can bring the school community together.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
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5 comments:
This is wonderful news - for the PS 261 children. As a former PS 261 parent I have very strong feelings about Lena and many of them negative. I have a soon to be seventh grader at Arts&Letters which is housed in PS 20 and my child will flip out with this news and will probably want to transfer.
If you want a catholic school atmosphere then is your person as Lena is a disciplinarian. The DOE will love her because she is rules follower and not very creative in her thinking. Good luck to those PS 20 students and parents. I don't want her within five feet of my child and my child feels similarly.
I'm very sad. My sons go to PS261, and we love having Lena there. We will be very sad to loose her!
As A parent at 261, we are sorry to loose Lena Barbera. She is AMAZING. an amazingly talented woman who always has a smile. she is down to earth and just great. we will miss her! you are getting a gem.
What the school system needs are more people like Lena. She is a wonderful, down to earth person who pulls no punches. I am very confident that she will turn that school into the gem it should be. As for the disgruntled parent and her pampered child who can do no wrong, this is what’s wrong with our schools.
It's the AP's JOB to be in charge of discipline! As a parent at 261, I'm sorry that Lena will leave us, but I'm sure she is well deserving of this new opportunity.
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