Herricks Selects New School Superintendent

Submitted by the Herricks School District Board of Education

The Herricks Board of Education is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Fino Celano as the successor of retiring Superintendent Dr. John Bierwirth. Dr. Celano’s resume is impeccable.

Dr. Celano graduated from Marist College with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1978, earned his Master of Arts in Reading Education in 1985 from Manhattan College, attended Hofstra University to earn his Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration in 1990, and in 2009 received his Doctor of Education in Educational Administration and Supervision from St. John’s University.

He began his teaching career in 1978 in Poughkeepsie and then in the Bronx. In 1985 he became a teacher at Calhoun High School, where he was later selected to be Assistant Principal at Grand Avenue Middle, in the same district and eventually Principal in 1997.

In July of 2003, he joined the Roslyn School District as the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources. His responsibilities included all functions of that department, for all of the district’s employees; including employee benefits, workers’ compensation, and unemployment claims. He conducted staffing needs assessments, budget preparation, recruitment and the hiring process for professional and Civil Service staff members. His responsibilities also included participating in contract administration, labor relations and collective bargaining. He completed classroom observations and tenure recommendations for probationary teachers. Dr. Celano implemented the annual New Teacher Orientation and Superintendent’s Conference Day, which are staff development programs.

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He became the Assistant Superintendent for Personnel for the Garden City Public School District in September 2005. Dr. Celano is responsible for supervision, mentoring, and guidance to all district principals and department directors. He provides leadership and professional development on best practices for classroom instruction, on teacher observations and the evaluation process. Classroom observations and the tenure review process for all probationary teachers and administrators are part of his responsibilities. He has planned and implemented new teacher induction and mentor programs. Dr. Celano has developed paperless digitized systems and operations, resulting in cost-savings and administrative efficiencies.The District’s Title I and Title IIa Consolidated Grant writing are also responsibilities of Dr. Celano, as well as coordinating district-wide anti-bullying and character education programs.

Dr. Celano’s additional Professional and Development Highlights include the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Leadership: An Evolving Vision, Cornell University ILR School, Effective Collective Bargaining Skills and Strategies, Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation (LEAF) and Supporting and Sustaining Instructional Leadership Workshops, 2013-14.

Besides his impressive credentials, what attracted us most were his thoughtful and genuine concerns for students and their educational needs. His warm hearted and intelligent responses to the many questions asked by the Board were met with agreement and common beliefs for a goal oriented plan for Herricks. While all the prospective candidates were of impeccable character and ability, Dr. Celano has the intelligence, temperament and personality that the students, residents and staff members have come to expect from our school leadership team.

The Herricks Board of Education worked closely with District Wise Search Consultants, our search firm who conducted the Superintendent search, as well as our current administrators during this process. The Board’s primary goal was to continue, extend and elevate the excellence of our schools. We expect our new Superintendent to provide the leadership necessary to have Herricks be at the pinnacle of public education, not just on Long Island but across New York State and the country. We are confident Dr. Fino Celano is the person to propel us forward and we welcome him to the Herricks School District.

Image: Dr. Fino Celano/Herricks School District

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