Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
Borough President Molinaro appoints representative to new Dept. of Education middle school advisory committee
Committee to meet April 9th to help develop and implement middle school success plan
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Borough President James P. Molinaro today announced that he has appointed Lawrence Ambrosino to the Department of Education’s newly-formed advisory committee that will help guide the DOE to create structural and instructional solutions to the problems facing middle school students.
Ambrosino, 59, of Annadale, is the longtime principal of P.S. 57 in Clifton, and superintendent of schools in Shrewsbury, N.J., since 1998. His wife, Dorothy, retired four years ago as principal of P.S. 21, and their eldest daughter teaches at the Petrides School.
“When Schools Chancellor Klein asked me to designate a representative to serve on this important new committee, the choice was obvious,” Molinaro said. “When Larry was appointed to PS 57 in 1980, he was the youngest principal in the city, and through the years, his commitment to keeping children mentally and physically healthy has earned the respect of his colleagues and the love of his students. Larry knows what our students need to succeed, and I know he will bring a great deal of vision, enthusiasm and insight to the new committee as we work together to address the longstanding issues in the City’s middle schools.”
Mr. Ambrosino said, “As a career educator, I’m very pleased to be appointed by the Borough President and honored to serve Staten Island in this capacity. With my 39 years of combined experience as a teacher, principal, and superintendent, I hope to bring something to the table that will benefit Staten Island students and children throughout the city.”
In a letter to the Borough President, Chancellor Klein wrote, “The need for middle school reform is critical to our overall efforts. The state graduation requirements are becoming more rigorous. At this time, many of our students entering high school are likely to fail. I am deeply committed to addressing this pressing need. The DOE will convene an advisory committee that over the next 24 months will provide advice and input on the development and implementation of a comprehensive middle school success plan.”
The advisory committee was created to ensure that the DOE continues to obtain counsel from a broad spectrum of interested parties, including the offices of each Borough President, representatives of the City Council’s Middle School Task Force and the Coalition for Educational Justice (CEJ). The first meeting is scheduled for April 9th at 2:00 p.m. at the DOE’s offices at the former Tweed Courthouse, 52 Chambers Street, in Manhattan.
April 8, 2008