New curriculum leader is home again

Caroline Schozer spent many of her early years in Valley Stream. So her new job as District 13’s curriculum leader makes her feel right at home.

Schozer moved to Valley Stream when she was 10 years old. She attended Holy Name of Mary School before moving on the Memorial Junior High School for ninth grade, and then Central High School. Her teaching career also began in Valley Stream at Blessed Sacrament School, where she taught fourth grade for two years.

Then District 24 came calling, and Schozer worked for 10 years at the William L. Buck School, teaching first through fourth grade during her decade there. For the next 11 years, she would work for Floral Park schools, also an elementary district. She started as an assistant principal at a school with nearly 900 students, then became the assistant to the superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

In District 13, Schozer replaces Linda Roth, the former assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, who retired in June. Schozer’s responsibilities will be similar but her official title will be a different — coordinator of curriculum and assessment.

She is already familiar with many aspects of the job. In Floral Park, she was responsible for analyzing test data and reporting information to the state.

When the job in Valley Stream came open, Schozer said she applied because she had fond memories of growing up in the community. “There’s really a strong sense of community and family values,” she said. “I always had a great time here as a kid.”

In fact, when she came for her interview, she stopped to see her old home on Maujer Street in the southern end of the district, and also searched for some of her old hang out spots. Then, when she walked in the door at District 13’s central offices, she got the feeling it would be the right place for her.

Schozer said there is a strong commitment to education in District 13, and she wants to be a part of that. She said it is a place where students come first, and that is the reason she first became an administrator. “I really think that everybody is so dedicated,” she said. “They’re hard workers. Everybody’s goal is really the same.”

Her goal, specifically, is to give students the best education possible. She wants to ensure that they have numerous opportunities to succeed and she said she believes that every child can achieve. Administrators and teachers, she said, need to work hard to support the students.

Schozer said she has a cooperative leadership style and describes herself as a good listener. She wants all staff members to work together to improve education in the district, and plans to visit classrooms on a regular basis to see the programs in action. The best way to learn if a program is working or not, she said, is by talking to the students.

Her favorite subject is social studies, and she said all children should have a strong knowledge of history. Concepts from the past are relevant to the world today, she explained. Schozer will have a hands-on role in helping to expand the district’s social studies curriculum this year.

Since she started, Schozer has gotten to meet a lot of teachers and even a few parents. She has been making testing schedules, reviewing curriculum maps and ensuring the district’s compliance with the new Common Core Learning Standards and other mandates.

Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Robb-Fund said Schozer’s administrative experience and her knowledge of curriculum and state mandates will make her an asset to the district.

Outside of school, Schozer likes to garden and do community service work. She has volunteered at the INN at Hempstead making sandwiches and is president of the Herricks Arts Boosters Association.

Schozer said she plans to get involved in the District 13 community, as well, and plans to attend numerous school events.

“I love being here,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a great year and I think we’re going to have a lot of successes.”