Cahn Fellows by Year: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 , 2005, 2004, 2003 | Awards & Accolades

Testimonials

Today over sixty-plus Cahn Fellows Principals are building leadership capacity on behalf of over 80,000 NYC school children attending elementary, middle, high school, K-12 and 6-12 schools in all five boroughs in the New York City School system. Although individually the Cahn Fellows represents diverse models of instruction, each Cahn Fellow Principal is characterized by their strong personal and professional commitment to excellence in education.

Please read about some of the experiences in the Cahn Fellows Program:

Nancy Sing-Bock, The Elias Howe School, 2005 Fellow
	“I feel I have been blessed to be given the time to be a learner to continue my professional growth as a principal and to be able to reflect on my practices to support my staff.  It has been an honor to be selected to work with such a diverse and incredible group of principals. Thank you for valuing and validating my work as a principal and treating me as a distinguished professional.”

Nancy Sing-Bock is a 2005 Cahn Fellow and has been Principal of P.S. 51, The Elias Howe School, a Pre-K through 5th grade elementary school located in Region 9, District 2 in New York City for the past three years. P.S. 51 has a diverse student population of 330 students from Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan and was chosen as a No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School in 2004. It was the only public elementary school chosen in New York City.

Prior to becoming Principal of P.S. 51, Nancy Sing-Bock was an Assistant Principal Intern at P.S. 40M, staff developer, classroom and cluster teacher. She attended Baruch College where she earned her Bachelors of Science Degree in Elementary Education. Later, she received graduate degrees in Environmental Education, Special Education and Administration and Supervision from Bank Street College of Education, Hunter College and Queens College, respectively.

 

Joseph D. Gates, The Susan B. Anthony Academy, 2005 Fellow
	“This experience will have far reaching residual effects on my continual development as an educational leader.  Everyone associated with Cahn is  stronger leader, and the city’s educational future  is that much better because of  this fellowship.”

Joseph D. Gates is a 2005 Cahn Fellow and has been the Principal of The Susan B. Anthony Academy in Hollis, Queens for over four years.  Though he inherited a school in turmoil, he instituted several instructional programs that have distinguished the school as one of the most progressive in the city.  Concerned with setting high standards, he created a preparation course that quadrupled student acceptance rates to specialized high schools.  At a time when many schools closed arts programs, he boldly expanded drama, music and fine arts opportunities for his students.  Concerned that the school budget was not sufficient to offer a competitive education, he assembled a grant writing team that brought in over three million dollars in outside funding, as well as securing over four million dollars in building upgrades. At the completion of the 2004 school year, I.S. 238 was one of two middle schools in all of region three to receive a CSA performance bonus for dramatic increases in Language Arts and Mathematics.  His collaborative and creative approach to revitalize the school were recognized by the teachers union were he received 2005’s first Fame Award in MidPoints, a United Federation of Teachers publication. 

Joseph began his career as a sixth grade classroom teacher who went on to become a computer coordinator, before rising through the ranks of dean and Assistant Principal of Mathematics.  He received his Bachelors Degree at the University of New Hampshire and pursued graduate courses at City College and Fordham University.  A member of the  first ever cohort of the Chancellor’s Principal’s Leadership Academy, he was the second candidate to ascend to the rank of Principal.  

Principal David Banks, The Eagle Academy for Young Men, the Bronx, 2003 Cahn Fellow
	“My involvement with the Cahn Fellows Program has been professionally satisfying and a lot of fun. It is the most relevant and meaningful experience I have had in education.”

David Banks is a 2003 Cahn Fellow and is a graduate of Rutgers University in New Brunswick , New Jersey and received his law degree from St. John's University , School of Law . He earned his Educational Administration and Supervision certification in the Spring of 1995 by attending three colleges; Brooklyn College , City College and Baruch College. David began his career as a teacher with the New York City Department of Education at PS 167 in 1986. While teaching, he simultaneously attended St. John's University School of Law. He left the Department of Education in 1992 to pursue his law career. He worked at the New York City Law Department, Office of the Corporation Counsel and the New York State Law Department, Office of the Attorney General. He was appointed Deputy Director of Public Liaison while with the Attorney General's office. His undying passion for children called him back to the Department of Education in 1995 where he served as an Assistant Principal at PS 191 in Crown Heights .

David was selected to be the founding Principal of The Bronx School for Law, Government & Justice in 1997. This school provided a unique opportunity for David to combine his law and education background. David recently accepted a new principalship to be the founding administrator of the Eagle Academy for Young Men, the first all boys public high school in New York City in almost 30 years.

Principal Celenia Chévere, NEST +M, Manhattan, 2004 Cahn Fellow
	"The Summer Leadership Institute sparked something in me that I haven't felt in many years. Having been in the system for 30+ years, I was inspired by the high-quality of the seminars and the level of professionalism of the entire Cahn Fellows program. I was able to come back to my school and immediately use what I learned."

Celenia Chévere is a 2004 Cahn Fellow and began her educational career as a paraprofessional in District 4 through Bilingual Pupil Services. Soon after, she received a B.S. in Education from City College , NY and became a teacher in District 4 in Manhattan . She began a masters program and earned a degree in Gifted Education from Columbia Teachers College and a second masters in Education Supervision and Administration from Bank Street College.

Ms. Chévere has consistently been a catalyst for change and innovation in education. As Director of Curriculum & Instruction K-8 in Districts One and Ten, she was responsible for the development and implementation of curriculum initiatives and new schools. To meet the needs of students in New York City , she created the Young Women's Leadership School , The Lab School for Gifted Education in District 2, Children's Workshop School and the Neighborhood School . Ms. Chévere's firm commitment to professional development has been key to her success in school reform. Part of the comprehensive model she developed included collaborations between Bank Street College and New York City school districts.

Principal Gloria Dupree, PS 340, Brooklyn, 2004 Cahn Fellow
	"The Summer Leadership Institute was the best leadership training experience I have had since becoming a principal eight years ago. It really dealt with the personal and individual qualities of being a leader."

Gloria J. Dupree is a 2004 Cahn Fellow and has been the Principal at North Star Academy/MS 340 since its transition from an elementary school to a middle school seven years ago. North Star Academy is a middle school serving 370 students located in Region 6 of the New York City 's Department of Education. It has as its focus Science, Technology and Communication Arts, offering students advanced science courses and the H.S. Living Environment Regents in Grade 8. The school has been recognized by the State Education Department as one of the "Most Improved Middle Schools" in the State in both reading and math.

Ms. Dupree began her career as a paraprofessional at PS 221K and completed her undergraduate studies through the DOE Career Ladder Program, graduating Cum Laude from Brooklyn College with a B.A. in Education. She has been a classroom teacher at PS 249k Annex, which later became PS then MS 340. She has been an instructor for the DOE's Office of Curriculum and Instruction in their new teacher training program and has taught at the College of New Rochelle , Brooklyn Campus. Ms. Dupree also holds a M.S. in Education from Pace University , where she graduated with Honors.

Principal Robert Marchi, PS 17, Brooklyn, 2004 Cahn Fellow
	"The concern for the principalship demonstrated by the Cahn Fellows Program is inspiring to me personally, as well as professionally. In my 30 years in education, both public and private, I have never been as impressed with a group as I have been with the Cahn Fellows Program."

Robert A. Marchi is a 2004 Cahn Fellow and has been Principal at Henry Woodworth Public School 17 in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn for three years. PS 17 is a Pre K-5 elementary school serving 450 students and is located in Region 8 of New York City's Department of Education. This Title I school has been selected as a recipient of a million dollar Robin Hood Library Initiative grant, which opened in September, 2004. The school hosted Studio-in-a-School and Chess-in-the-Schools initiatives this past year. Student leadership is fostered through an aggressive Student Council program.

Prior to PS 17, Dr. Marchi was a Principal in a non-public school system for seven years. In addition, he has served in a number of central office responsibilities for the New York City Public Schools, including Director of Teacher Preparation and Staff Planning and 10 years with the Office of Monitoring and School Improvement. Dr. Marchi received his B.A. from St. John's University and his M.S. and Ed.D. from Fordham University .

Principal Michael Schurek, PS 19, the Bronx, 2004 Cahn Fellow
	"My experience as a 2004 Cahn Fellow has affirmed and broadened my beliefs and practices regarding effective leadership. Interacting with other leaders from within and outside the field of education has been both invigorating and inspiring."

Michael L. Schurek is a 2004 Cahn Fellow and has been Principal at the Judith K. Weiss/Woodlawn School in the Bronx for three years. PS 19, an elementary and middle school serving 450 students in a K-8 setting, is located in Region 2 of New York City's Department of Education. Prior to the Woodlawn School, Mr. Schurek served as an assistant principal for three years in another K-8 building (PS 83), an itinerant supervisor of special education for six years, a District Eleven special education staff development coordinator for four years, and was a crisis intervention teacher for three years and a middle school classroom teacher for twelve years. Mr. Schurek holds a B.A. from C.C.N.Y., an M.S. in Special Education from the College of New Rochelle and a P.D. in Administration from the College of New Rochelle.

Principal Lily Din Woo, PS 130, Manhattan, 2003 Cahn Fellow
	"As a principal with many years of experience in the position, I have found the Cahn Fellows Program to be refreshingly stimulating. At a time when the major focus of professional development has been for new or less experienced colleagues, this program has renewed and invigorated those of us who have been on the job for a while."

Lily Din Woo is a 2003 Cahn Fellows and is the principal of PS 130 Manhattan, The DeSoto School in the Chinatown/Little Italy area of Manhattan . As principal, she has helped transform a corrective action Title I school into a United States Department of Education and New York State Title I Distinguished School. Prior to her 15-year tenure as principal, Ms. Woo worked in many roles in the New York City school system. She was an elementary school and high school teacher, a staff developer and project director for the New York City Department of Education, and later on, served as an associate for the New York State Education Department, Bureau of Bilingual Education. A product of the New York City public school system herself, Ms. Woo received recognition as a New York State Education Department Title I Distinguished Educator in 2002.

Ms. Woo currently also serves as a mentor principal for the New York City Leadership Academy , a leadership training program for aspiring principals, and is an adjunct instructor at the Bank Street College of Education and at the School of Public Affairs at Baruch College.