Younghans: NY Assistant Principal of the Year

Matthew Younghans has been tapped as the 2016 New York State Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State.

This award is given annually by SAANYS and the National Association of Secondary School Principals to an assistant principal who has set the pace, character, and quality of education for the students in his or her school. Nominees are administrators who are committed to students, parents, and the community and have shown exceptional contributions to the educational process.

Hired from within as assistant principal of Clarkstown High School South, Younghans has strived to continue his approachable and consistent leadership style, while maintaining and expanding relationships first developed at the middle school, officials said.

Often visible in the hallways and at extra curricular activities, he has fostered a climate of openness at the school.

“Mr. Younghans is an approachable, talented, intelligent, and well-rounded assistant principal whose empathy towards all stakeholders allows him to be able to handle even the most delicate and difficult situations with professionalism and respect,” said Debra Tarantino, principal of Clarkstown HS South.

Known as a lifelong learner, Younghans has offered many professional development opportunities to teachers including “Viking Institutes,” which offer workshops on Common Core, Google Classroom, the teacher evaluation process, and adapting modules to meet the needs of instruction. Several teachers have now become Google certified and are able to offer ongoing support for building teachers to incorporate Google within their classrooms.

Additionally, he is recognized as a mentor to the new teachers at the school. A colleague commented, “He takes the role of being a mentor seriously and goes to great lengths to include the interns in all aspects of school building leadership.”

“Matt has not only taught me to grow as a teacher, but how to be an effective building leader,” Special education teacher, Jacqueline Hurley noted. “Matthew Younghans truly fits the description of an outstanding leader.”

When students approached Younghans to be the staff advisor of the Youth United Way Club, he immediately jumped in to raise awareness of local poverty and to meet the needs of less fortunate students within the community. Of obtaining and distributing formal dresses and suits for underprivileged students to use at school events, one of the students in the club said, “Mr. Younghans is up for anything including dresses. This selfless act taught me to never underestimate people’s willingness to give.”

Under Younghans’ guidance, the student leaders in the club have received county recognition from the United Way of Rockland County.

Younghans received his bachelor of science degree from the University of Hartford, his master of science in education from the College of New Rochelle, and his certificate of advanced study in school leadership from the State University of New York at New Paltz.

Younghans will be honored for his accomplishments at a May awards ceremony in Albany. As the NYS Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year, Younghans is now a candidate for the award of National Assistant Principal of the Year, an award sponsored by NASSP. A forum and awards ceremony sponsored by NASSP will be held in Washington, DC in April.