YCSD Looks In-House to Appoint New Assistant Superintendent
At its May 23 meeting, the Yorktown Board of Education appointed Lisa O’Shea to the position of Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, effective July 1.
The post had been held for 10 years by Dr. Florence O’Connor, who announced her retirement in May.
The search drew 84 candidates for the position. A Screening Committee of teachers, administrators and a parent/community member helped to narrow the search before interviews were held for the top 12 candidates.
O’Shea is currently the Director of Pupil Personnel Services, a position where she had excelled. She has developed and implemented an ongoing district-wide plan for special education services, and has evaluated all of the special education programs to make sure that they meet the needs of our students in the least restrictive environment. She joined the Yorktown district in 2008 as Principal at Crompond School, Grades 4-5 and moved to her current position two years later.
“While we will certainly miss Dr. O’Connor and we wish her well as she enters a new chapter in her life, we are very pleased that a perfect candidate to replace her is within our district,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ralph Napolitano said. “Lisa is a dedicated, knowledgeable and committed educator who believes in making a difference in the lives of all of our children. She is highly regarded by everyone in the Yorktown School District and will continue making a positive contribution to the faculty, staff and students in her new role.”
Before coming the district, O’Shea was principal at Mt. Pleasant Blythedale in Valhalla, a K-12 school that serves a hospital population, for six years and before that a Special Education teacher in that unique Westchester County district.
Currently enrolled in a doctoral program at Manhattanville College, O’Shea holds a professional diploma in educational leadership from Fordham University, a Master’s of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education, also from Fordham. She began her professional studies in Manhattan College and holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from that institution.
The Yorktown Central School District was recently named one of four school districts in the country as a National School District of Character. It serves 3,600 pupils in five schools: Brookside and Mohansic schools, grades K-3; Crompond School, grades 4-5; Mildred E. Strang Middle School, grades 6-8; and the Yorktown High School, grades 9-12. Its mission is to provide a comprehensive learning experience that emphasizes the education of the whole child with the motto of “Come to Learn, Leave to Lead and Serve.”
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