New Floral Park-Bellerose principal thrives on community

Getting around the Floral-Park Bellerose School building may require a map when school starts next month, joked John DeKams, who recently made the move from assistant principal of a Westchester County elementary school to principal of Floral Park-Bellerose, a job he started on July 1.
DeKams, 36, of Smithtown, who graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 2008 with a degree in elementary education and teaching, has had a number of teaching jobs. After college he became a permanent substitute teacher in his hometown district of Kings Park, where he also served as assistant varsity football and baseball coach. He worked in the New York City Department of Education as a sixth-grade special education teacher during the past decade. Most recently, he was assistant principal at Hillside Elementary School in Hastings on Hudson.

DeKams said that he has always simultaneously aspired to be a principal and remained unsure of whether he would ever have that chance. “I don’t think so, if you asked 2008 John, permanent subbing and coaching in Kings Park, if I’d be a principal by 2021,” he said.

But the opportunities he had in classrooms in New York City motivated him to pursue his goal. “I really started to develop a passion for leadership,” he said of that part of his career.

He emphasized that his experience as an assistant principal prepared him to take over at Floral Park-Bellerose. “I worked alongside my principal very closely,” DeKams said. “There were a lot of things that my responsibilities as principal at Floral Park will hold that I’ve already kind of been a part of during my work at Hastings, which I’m extremely grateful for because it got me on the right foot.”

He noted that he has taught or worked as an assistant principal in four different areas of the state. “Being able to see what education is like in different areas of New York state is also helpful as well,” he said.

DeKams said he applied for the principal’s job at Floral Park-Bellerose for one key reason: the sense of community in Floral Park. “The thing that I love most about the building, and about Floral Park in general, is that there’s an actual tight-knit feel of a small community throughout the whole district,” he said.

His aspirations changed during the coronavirus pandemic, when he was working at Hastings. “If you’re ready for this, this is your time,” DeKams said the district superintendent and assistant superintendent told him before he made the move to Long Island.

But when he began looking for principals’ positions last winter, he held back from applying for every job on the market. Instead, he looked for a district that had the “small-town feel” of Kings Park. Rather than work in a district with thousands of students, which he experienced in New York City, he yearned for a sense of community.

“When I was in those places, it felt like that was missing,” DeKams said. “I’m someone who’s a firm believer in inclusivity and really building a strong community.”

Early in the interview process at Floral-Park Bellerose, he said, he knew that was where he should be. “I really thought that, for myself and for the school district, it was a really good fit,” he said. Then, as he began meeting staff members, parents and students, he said, “I knew that I really landed in a great spot. Taking this leap, it’s going to be a challenge, but this is definitely the right time in my career.”

He emphasized that the district has a strong sense of community, and that he wanted to build on it by working to improve the school and seeking feedback from community members. He also praised the largely positive feedback during his first six weeks as principal.

One major focus for him, DeKams said, has been building relationships with district employees and school staff members. He organized a morning and evening meet-and-greet in July with parents and students. “Just to start putting my face out there, I think that’s really important, especially as a new leader in the building,” he said.

When the school year begins next month, DeKams said, he won’t rush to implement changes. He touted the work of his predecessors, saying, “There are a lot of practices and protocols in place that are strong, and we’re going to looks for ways to build upon those to improve in other areas.”

First, however, he wants to get to know the community and students, he said. “Nobody wants their world turned upside down right away,” he said, “especially when someone’s coming in who really doesn’t know much about the district right now.”

“I like to think, as a principal, of my title being ‘lead collaborator,’” said DeKams, a former football and baseball player who described himself as a “big team player.”

A major part of his new role, he said, would involve listening and being open to advice. He pledged to encourage input from students, parents, staff and administrators. “I’m a firm believer that when every decision is made from the top down, without any input from everybody else, I don’t know how much success you can have in a school building,” he said.

“I think it’s really important to keep modeling to staff members and to students and parents that I’m still a learner myself,” DeKams said. “Lifelong learning is always a goal of mine to keep.”

That approach, instilled in him throughout his career, he said, is something he deeply believes in, and plans to implement as principal. “I’ve seen success come out of that model of leadership,” DeKams said, “and it’s something that I’m going to carry forward for sure in Floral Park.”