Christine Napolitano, a Williston Park resident and the Mineola School District’s Board of Education president, will be honored this spring with the Nassau BOCES Education Partner Award.
“It gives us great pleasure to congratulate our 2018 Education Partner honorees,” Nassau BOCES Board President Eric Schultz said on behalf of the agency. “They are all extraordinary, sharing our commitment to creating safe and caring educational environments where all students can achieve their greatest potential. We are grateful for their support of our students and programs.”
The program pays tribute to outstanding community and business leaders, civil servants, government officials, nonprofit executives and volunteers, organizations, school administrators and staff, students, teachers and Nassau BOCES employees who have had a profound effect on public education within Nassau County.
“I’m deeply honored,” said Napolitano. “I certainly take it as an honor to the district because no one person achieves any of this. We have just worked together so well. We have hired so many great administrators and we have a deep pool of great teachers and board members. We’ve all just come together and it’s a different mentality and culture. It’s a lot of creativity and we’re not afraid to take risks and it’s all worked out. I’m really thrilled to be receiving the honor but I really take it for everybody who’s been involved in the success of what’s happening in Mineola.”
During her nine years on the board of education, Napolitano was at the forefront of advocating for efficiency and innovation in her district. She voted “yes” on the tough decision to reconfigure the district’s schools, which ultimately led to millions of dollars in savings for community taxpayers and better curriculum alignment for students. During Napolitano’s tenure on the board, the district has received—and continues to receive—state and national attention for its exceptional program and use of technology, including being named to the prestigious Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools. Most recently, all five schools within the district have earned the Apple Distinguished School designation.
“I have the best board in the whole world,” explained Napolitano. “A lot has been accomplished in the last nine years under Dr. Nagler’s leadership. We’re talking about coding, the dual language program, fab labs and programs that go with them in the middle school and high school and a partnership with Queensborough Community College. There are many, many things that have happened over the last nine years. We’ve gone through such a transformation and there’s such a culture of excellence and collaboration now. The sky’s the limit.”
What Napolitano enjoys most about her job as president is visiting the various classrooms and interacting with the kids, something that she has done since day one on the job.
“I’m always just so happy when I go in and I see all the great things that the kids are doing with smiles on their faces and the learning that’s taking place,” said Napolitano. “To know that you had a part in it, there’s no feeling like it in the world.”
Due to the district’s impressive accomplishments within a short amount of time, Napolitano is very optimistic about the school district’s future.
“The difference from where we were nine years ago to where we are now, is nothing short of remarkable,” said Napolitano. “I can’t wait to see what happens over the next 10 years. The things that have taken place over the last nine years compared to a lot of other school districts is nothing short of amazing.”
This year’s honorees will receive their awards at the annual Education Partner Awards Gala on Wednesday, April 11.
