UPDATE: CSDNR has taken the unusual step of issuing a press release regarding the Briceno appointment (see below). Safe to say they did not like being scooped by Talk of the Sound on their story. Heh.
Rolando Briceño has been selected as the new principal for Trinity Elementary School in New Rochelle. Briceño is currently the Assistant Principal at Trinity. He will be only the second hispanic principal in the history of the New Rochelle public school system. He will take over from Richard McMahon who was brought out of retirement to serve as Acting Principal two years ago when former principal Jacqueline Herman took maternity leave. Herman informed the District during the school year that she did not intend to return to work at the end of her two year unpaid leave.
Talk of the Sound reported previously that the School Board was meeting Tuesday to discuss personal.
At the conclusion of the Regular Meeting, the Board will go into Executive Session to discuss the employment history of particular persons and matters which may lead to the appointment of a particular person.
Looks like this was the “the appointment of a particular person” discussed Tuesday night after the Regular Meeting of the school board ended.
Developing…
If anyone has a photo or bio information on Mr. Briceño please send it along; a scan from the Trinity yearbook would suffice.
EDITORIAL NOTE: We originally reported that Briceño was the first hispanic principal in New Rochelle. That was wrong, as noted in the comments below, and we have amended the story to make it correct.
CSDNR Press Release: Rolando Briceño Recommended for Principal Post at Trinity Elementary School
The administration of the City School District of New Rochelle has recommended the appointment of Mr. Rolando Briceño to fill the position of Principal of Trinity Elementary School, effective July 1, 2009. The Board of Education of the City School District of New Rochelle is expected to ratify a resolution appointing Mr. Briceño during the next meeting of the Board scheduled for Tuesday, June 30 at 8 PM.
Mr. Briceño has served as Assistant Principal of the Trinity Elementary School for four years. He succeeds Mr. Richard McMahon, who has served as Interim Principal for two years.
“While at Trinity School, Mr. Briceño has assisted with supervision, operation and coordination of school administration. In a relatively short time he emerged as an integral leader of the school community, and proved his innate ability to engage the faculty, parents, and students as partners in decision-making in this neighborhood school,” comments Superintendent of Schools Richard Organisciak.
Mr. Rolando Briceño holds a degree of Master of Arts in School Leadership and Technology from Adelphi University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. John’s University. Prior to his employment in the New Rochelle School District, Mr. Briceño was Dean at Public School 72 in New York City, and Assistant Director at the Time Middle School in New York City where he had also taught Social Studies.
As Principal of Trinity Elementary School, Mr. Briceño will be responsible for the supervision of more than 53 teaching faculty, 36 support staff, and over 830 students.
NOTE: The Journal News published the press release here. I wonder if Diana Costello even has any idea why they sent her the press release and its relation to their playing catchup.
Trinity Asst. Principal
According to the New Rochelle schools website, I see now that Nadine Pacheco has been promoted to asst. principal at Trinity and new name Kimberly Peluso has been appointed Administrative Assistant to Elementary Principal.
It should be an interesting year. The top two spots are held by people in these jobs for the first time with no previous experience in these particular roles.
Will the district help Trinity out this year in a more concentrated way? How about Korostoff being on site one half-day a week or something?
BOE meeting on June 30th
It sounds like Mr. Briceno will not officially be the principal of Trinity, despite the PA announcement at school, until the BOE ratifies the resolution on June 30th. The district made their recommendation, but the BOE has the final say. If anyone has any concerns with his lack of experience they should send an email, make a phone call or send a letter to the members of the BOE before their vote.
How does one contact members of the school board?
How does one send an email or make a phone call?
They do not have offices at City Hall.
How do you contact them?
How to contact BOE
According to the New Rochelle school district website: http://www.nred.org there is a BOE secretary that can be reached here:
Clerk and Secretary to the Board of Education
City School District of New Rochelle
515 North Avenue
New Rochelle, NY 10801-3416
Tel.: (914) 576-4219
Fax: (914) 576-4613
E-mail: lsaraiva@newrochelle.k12.ny.us or jnielsen@newrochelle.k12.ny.us
Note: It seems that this page hasn’t been updated since 7/08.
Trinity Principal
It seems that Briceno is not officially the principal until the BOE ratifies the resolution on June 30th. So speak up now if anyone feels he is not qualified. Call a BOE member or send a letter or email. Trinity struggles with low grades on state wide test. We need the best possible principal for our very large school.
What has he done for the school?
That press release sounds like his present job description. What has he done for the students at Trinity? What are his accomplishments? Did he volunteer to coach the school basket ball team? Did he continue the National chess tournaments at Trinity school? Is he a PTA member? What has he done for the large Hispanic population at Trinity? He is not even tenured because his time as asst principal is not very impressive.
He is not tenured?
Can that actually be true? Are you sure?
Briceno received tenure as
Briceno received tenure as an Assistant Principal in September.
What was I thinking
Of course he is tenured, I should have known that the school district would tenure someone just for lasting 3 years. If it is a done deal I feel sorry for Trinity
students and parents. Maybe they found a good candidate from all the other applicants to fill his former position. Oh wait this is New Rochelle school district, they will replace him with a reassigned staff member like a custodian or lunch monitor.
student and teachers in the building
From the figures given the school has less than 16 students per teacher. Where are all the teachers being used? This is a big taxpayer expennse.
Not true! The average class
Not true! The average class size is 21-24.
Anyone have anything good to say about Mr. Briceno?
He had two years apprenticeship under McMahon, right? That’s got to count for something.
don’t forget the first year with Jackie Herman.
He has been there 3 years now. Trinity is not better off after 3 years with him as asst principal.
This hire is very unusual
I have been told by several people that it is rarely the case that the community learns of a recommended candidate for a principal job weeks BEFORE the school board meeting where that recommendation will be voted on by the school board.
Obviously the district did not want it to be known that Briceno had been recommended for the very reason in display here: it gives parents time to vent their complaints and possibly even organize against the recommended candidate. Perhaps this is an unrepresentative sample and Briceno is widely loved by the vast majority of Trinity parents but if that’s not the case than Talk of the Sound has given those parents a rare chance to do something about it.
4 years now.
2 with Mrs. Herman; 2 with Mr. McMahon.
The Trinity community will be watching…
As an untenured Principal with the highest level of responsibility and accountability for the school and the instruction and safety of our children, he will be under the watchful eye of the Trinity community.
Maybe now he will not have to be reminded…
Maybe now Mr. Briceno will not have to be reminded numerous times to join the school’s PTA and show his support at more events.
Too bad for Trinity school
Having dealt with Mr Briceno at Trinity school, I think he is the wrong choice as Principal. I was not impressed with his performance as asst principal. He was a very rude person. I think he is too young and inexperienced for a large school with so many issues.
He taught social studies in NYC. He was married and had no children at the time he became asst principal.
He did not command any respect from staff or parents. He was not nice to the kids.
I am not surprised that the BOE would choose an incompetent person to fill such an important position. I guess they just don’t want Trinity school to succeed.
Bummer
Bummer says it all.
I’m very surprised that from
I’m very surprised that from all the interviews taken place, there was not a better candidate for this position. From my experience with Mr. Briceno, he is not the right candidate for this position. Even in his current position at Trinity, he does not have enough experience or management capability to run Trinity. He is too young, not well liked, will do nothing to improve the School or children curriculum., and never puts in the extra mile. Another bad decision by the Board of Ed.
Why wasn’t he given the position before Mr. McMahon?
Also, does anybody know what Ms. Herman received as payment for being on maternity leave for two years, and then finally given notice that she would not be back?
NOT READY
Mr. Briceno is not ready to be principal, he needs about 10 more years of experience as an assistant.
Wrong!
Thelma Rodriquez Esteves was the principal of IEYMS and later assistant superintendent of schools — Mr. Briceno is not the first Hispanic principal as you erroneously claim.
Really? OK, Thanks
I was told he was the first hispanic principal. Let me look into further and get clarification. So far I have two anonymous people telling me two different things.
In either case — whether he is first or second — it sure seems to me like this is a good thing that the District has identified a Latino for this sort of position given the changing Demographics in New Rochelle.
Fixed
Went back to my original source who said they had forgotten about Ms. Esteves. The article has been corrected. Thanks for the heads up.
Briceno
i know him a little from conversations in his office when I subbed at Trinity. My perspective thus is limited, but I have seen a hell of a lot worse in my experiences. Working under McMahon is a plus; not so much Herman.
His resume is sound; his age is irrelevant given the many examples of incompetence in the system with people of more experience.
You want to see a resume that is frightingly unfit to run a major school — check out bongo’s at Isaac. There is no way a rational decision could defend this.
Of course being Hispanic had something to do with it and frankly, it should. Trinity is a TESOL school and this means something.
I checked with a really smart guy — a New York City Police Officer assigned to Commissioner Kelly’s office. Just another opinion, but he thinks the guy is decent and has no concerns re: his daughter’s attending the school
Yes, I would have like McMahon to stay on board, but his sure beats a few others I can think of; a number of who have been featured in Bob’s reports on various degrees of misconduct or inappropriate behavior or at least suspicion of same.
Warren Gross