Alumni Success – Donna Wright-Bauer
Donna Wright-Bauer is the new Assistant Principal at PS236/173, and a graduate of cohort 36 in the College of St. Rose / CITE School Building Leader Program.
What made you choose to pursue your SBL?
I had accepted a position at Bronx Charter School for the Arts as a Special Ed Coordinator and later became the Special Ed Director. Being a career changer and teaching for 8 years, I was looking for an opportunity to combine my human resource and teaching experience to have an even greater impact in the education world.
Why did you choose the College of St. Rose program?
I selected the College of St. Rose based on the convenience of when the classes were offered and the reasonable pricing of the program.
What was the job market like for you?
I was fortunate to already be in a leadership position and have hands-on experience, but felt that I needed a more well rounded administrative experience. Initially, I didn’t think I wanted to do anything other than special ed, but as my administrative duties grew in other areas, the desire to do more was palpable. I spend the past year trying to find a position that felt like the right fit. I believe that I was well prepared by the College of St. Rose.
What advice do you have for someone entering the administration job market now?
Have confidence, stay in touch with your Cohort and former schools that you have taught at, and network like crazy. I had a number of offers. However, I went to a retirement party, spoke to the new principal and wound up getting a job offer at the school where I first started my teaching career. Talk about coming around full circle!
What challenges or opportunities do you envision as you start this job?
Some of the challenges are going from a charter school to a NYC DOE school – things are definitely managed differently. At charter schools there is minimal red tape to deal with. Another challenge is supervising within a union environment.
How well do you know the school?
Since I taught at the school, I know approximately half of the staff and have been welcomed with open arms.
How does that play into your strategy?
I am all about relationship building. So for me I have a great foundation to start with.
What’s one challenge you see in the larger educational environment of the city right now?
There are many challenges but one that is near and dear to my heart is parent involvement.
What are your thoughts on it?
We need to maximize the Tuesday mandate regarding Parent Engagement. I am committed to involving parents within our school community to maximize student achievement and create communities that involve all stakeholders.
CITE is the Center for Integrated Training and Education . For over 25 years, CITE has and continues to train TEACHERS (Early Childhood, Literacy, Special Ed, Grad Courses, DASA); COUNSELORS (School, Mental Health Masters, Advanced Certificate); and ADMINISTRATORS (SBL, SDL, Public Admin, Online PhD) in all five boroughs of NYC, Yonkers, and Long Island.
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