40 years in education, what’s one more?

A veteran school administrator will join the District 30 leadership team for the coming school year. Gerard Finelli, a retired principal, will serve as the interim assistant principal at Clear Stream Avenue School.

Finelli retired in 2006, but has not stopped working. This is his third interim position in administration. “I figured one more year,” he said.

He replaces Kathryn White, who, after having her first baby, took an assistant principal job closer to home at the Three Village School District in Suffolk County.

Finelli and Superintendent Dr. Elaine Kanas were principals together in the Pelham School District. Kanas called him when the position at Clear Stream Avenue opened up, knowing she wanted to take the year to find a permanent replacement for White.

But Kanas expects Finelli to be more than just a placeholder. She knows he will contribute to the school’s growth rather than “just keeping the engine running.”

Finelli said he will treat the job as if he is here to stay. “My commitment is 100 percent,” he said. “Even though it’s an interim position for me, it’s not an interim year for the kids.”

Kanas said Finelli’s extensive experience in school administration will be an asset to the district. Finelli began his teaching career in New York City in 1969. He spent nine years working in the south Bronx at the elementary level. He then became a director of staff development, a position he held for 10 years. His responsibility was to help teachers set up their classrooms to best meet student needs and to introduce new innovations in education. “I worked directly with teachers to implement new programs,” he said.

After spending two years as an assistant principal at the George Miller School in Nanuet, Finelli got his first principalship in 1990 at Kent Elementary School in the Carmel district. In 1995, he was chosen to lead the Colonial School in Pelham. He spent his last four years before retirement as principal of the Woodglen Elementary School in Clarkstown.

Finelli said he hopes he can bring his experience in curriculum leadership to Valley Stream. During his four decades in education, he has served on numerous math committees. In Clarkstown, Finelli said he worked with fellow administrators and teachers to re-write the English Language Arts curriculum. “We worked as a team,” he said “If you can’t work collegially, then you can’t accomplish what you need to for the kids.”

He is looking forward to being a part of what he believes is already a strong team in District 30. Finelli also said he is excited to meet the children, and noted that he relates well to youth. “Interaction with students is something that’s a strong point for me,” he said. “I love dealing with the kids.”

As assistant principal at Clear Stream Avenue, Finelli will have two sets of children to meet. He will also be second in command at the Washington Avenue Kindergarten Center which serves the school’s youngest learners. He said it is important to have a presence there so the teachers know they are supported.

“Plus I love to read to kindergartners,” he said. “At times when things get rough, there’s nothing better than walking into a kindergarten classroom and reading to them.”

Finelli, who has been married to his wife Charlotte for 40 years, has three daughters and two grandchildren. He loves to golf and is an avid reader. Finelli also described himself as a sports enthusiast. He was in attendance at Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series and had his ticket stub signed by Larsen and catcher Yogi Berra. “That’s one of my prized pieces of memorabilia,” he said.

He said he plans to officially call it a career when his wife retires. “While she’s working, I may as well work,” he said. “I love what I do.”