Friday, July 18, 2025
When the bell rings each morning at Oceanside High School, one staff member is always there: math teacher Yves “J.P.” Jean-Pierre, of Valley Stream. In more than 23 years on the job, J.P. has never missed a single day — an achievement he views not as extraordinary, but simply part of doing his job.
“Coming to school is what I’m here for,” J.P. said with a shrug. “Even when I don’t feel well, I find that moving around and doing what I love helps me recover faster.”
Jean-Pierre’s attendance streak began when he arrived in September 2002, and continues throughout the 2024-25 school year. During that time he’s guided thousands of students through algebra, calculus and other math classes, never once calling in sick.
Born in the small town of Saint-Marc, Haiti, about 60 miles north of Port-au-Prince, Jean-Pierre was educated at the prestigious Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague — one of Haiti’s most elite Catholic schools, which has been attended by many future Haitian presidents and national leaders.
In 1985, he came to New York to study aerospace engineering at the University at Buffalo, and he graduated in 1989. Inspired by a cousin who thrived as a math teacher, and by a desire to make a more direct impact, he earned his teaching certification, and never looked back.
“When I saw summer break after my first engineering internship, I realized I wanted to do more than research,” he recalled. “Teaching felt right.”
Jean-Pierre’s earliest teaching assignments in Manhattan and Brooklyn were marked by a drive to challenge students with complex problems. But after receiving candid feedback from a mentor teacher — that instruction should build confidence rather than erect obstacles — he embraced a new approach centered on student success.
“He told me, ‘Teach for the students, not to stump them,’” Jean-Pierre recalled. “That advice changed everything. Kids are not empty vessels. You should not be throwing instructions on kids. You have to give them the freedom to learn.”
He spent eight years at South Shore High School in Brooklyn, before moving to the Oceanside school district. Today his classroom balances rigorous content with personalized support. On his first day at Oceanside, a student asked if she could call him “J.P.” The nickname stuck.
“A student, I remember, her name was Magdalena, she said to me, ‘Are you French?’” he recounted. “‘Can I call you JP?’ I said, ‘OK.’ I said, ‘Yeah, that’s fine.’ I didn’t see any problem with that. For some reason, kids are always impressed by the French language. But I didn’t think that it was going to last, anyway. Now everyone calls me J.P. — even the teachers,” he said, laughing.
But what really makes J.P. stand out, students say, is not his nickname or his attendance record — it’s his presence in the classroom. Students begin assignments at their own pace; high achievers receive enrichment problems, while those who struggle get targeted interventions. Test corrections and retests reinforce mastery, as do daily pep talks. He emphasizes mindset and the daily encouragement that “today could be the day” a student makes a leap.
This year’s Oceanside High valedictorian, Madison Moore, credits J.P.’s method for her growth. “I think that math kind of gets a bad rap sometimes, but I liked that there was always a solution, but there were different ways to find the solution,” Moore said. “I just kept growing with it, and I always had, like, more of a connection with my math teacher.”
That mindset applies whether J.P. is teaching Algebra 1 to ninth-graders or BC Calculus to the school’s top-performing students. Over the years, he has taught all levels, challenging and supporting them with the same belief: that they can succeed.
Oceanside senior Kaylin Harrington, who will attend the U.S. Military Academy in the fall, called J.P.’s influence invaluable.
“I had some close relationships with my teachers, but I was in Calculus BC this year and my math teacher, Mr. John-Pierre, is a very good teacher,” Harrington said. “It’s a very, very tough class. I was nervous going into it and didn’t know how I was going to be, but he was the type of teacher to put all the time and effort into helping you, and he knew that I wanted to go to West Point. He met with me every single day after school, during my off periods. We went through my tests, went through and all the lessons.”
At 59, Jean-Pierre is also a father of three adult sons, ages 30, 28 and 22. He admits that tutoring his own children sometimes proved tougher than teaching strangers, because parental emotions and expectations come into play. Still, he treasures the chance to share his passion for learning with his family. Along with his attendance streak, J.P. will leave behind a legacy of belief in every student’s potential.
Next year will mark his 34th year in education and his final year in the classroom. He plans to retire, citing a desire to create opportunities for younger teachers.
“After 34 years, I think it should be enough,” he said. “It’s time to go and let some younger person take my spot. I don’t want to be remembered just for not missing a day. I want people to remember the work I did with students.”
After teaching, he plans to pursue a lifelong dream: founding a free model school in Haiti, giving back to the country that shaped his early life.
“I want to create something that could change lives for the next generation,” he said. “I was really well educated, and now I see what’s going on; the education in Haiti is completely down. There’s nothing good about this country. My intention is really to create a school there where they have everything, and the school will be a model for other cities so they can copy this in almost every city in Haiti. I feel that’s the only way that we have a chance.”
