By Nicole Falco
Troisi, who officially assumes the position on July 1, replaces Dr. Lois Austen, who resigned in March. Austen came to the district in October 2003.
"I am very happy about it," Troisi said during an interview in his office. "It's an opportunity to stay within the district and to continue the relationships I've developed with teachers, students, parents, the administration and school board."
During the transition period, Maureen Newman, who retired as assistant principal of Great Neck South High School last June, is serving as part-time interim curriculum specialist for the district. She had previously served as interim assistant principal at South High School, replacing Mike Kaplan, who was transferred to Memorial Junior High School last fall.
In voting to approve Troisi's appointment, Dr. Maria Fletcher, board president, said that she and other members of the board were very pleased when they learned that he had expressed interest in the position. Dr. Marc Bernstein, superintendent of schools, likewise said that it was "with pleasure" that he made the recommendation to the board to approve the appointment.
"I look forward to a lot of accomplishments for you, because those accomplishments will be the same for the Valley Stream High School District," Bernstein said at the meeting.
Speaking on behalf of the North High School Spartan Club and PTSA, Paul Kay said after the board voted, "Tonight we are here with mixed hearts. We are losing a principal we have grown to love and respect. I just wanted to thank him publicly on behalf of both organizations."
Troisi has been the principal of North for four years. He came to the school with almost 20 years of experience, having begun his career in 1983, teaching in Catholic and public elementary schools in Queens and Brooklyn before accepting a position as a social studies teacher at Wantagh High School. His career also includes stints as dean of students and department chairman of English and social studies at Harbor Fields High School in Greenlawn before he returned to Wantagh to serve as assistant principal. Troisi has also been an adjunct professor at Hofstra, teaching a course on curriculum and instruction for the past 10 years.
As a principal, Troisi, who earned a doctorate in school administration from Hofstra, is responsible for overseeing everything from building maintenance to staff development. He called the opportunity to serve on the administrative level a career goal. "I look forward to assuming even greater levels of responsibility for instruction," he said.
Of the time he has spent at North, Troisi said, "It's been a wonderful experience. I've had the wonderful opportunity to work with a very young and energetic staff. The community has really been wonderful. Everyone - the staff, parents, myself and the assistant principals - here has really been able to do good things for the kids.
"I guess the thing I'm most proud of is the relationships that I've established with the teachers and parents," Troisi continued. "It's what I would call a collaborative working relationship."
In his new position, he said, he hopes to support and build on the goals the district has for increasing students' achievement, to continue to infuse technology into the curriculum, and to provide for staff development.
"I've really liked being the principal of North High School," Troisi said. "I've enjoyed it. Now I'll sort of have the best of both worlds. I'm able to take advantage of this opportunity and continue to work with the people I've come to know here and in the other [three] schools."
Troisi and his wife, Donna, a school administrator in Seaford, live in Seaford with their sons, Daniel, a 10th-grader, and John, a sixth-grader.
Comments about this story? NFalco@liher-ald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
