Sarah Kaplan
Plainview,New York
Summary
Experienced principal with strong background in educational leadership with a focus on Early College program development. Skilled in fostering positive learning environments and driving academic progress through effective collaboration among educators, students, and parents. Proven ability to improve school culture by implementing innovative strategies for student engagement and staff professional development. Notable impact made in previously held roles through enhancement of curriculum standards and implementation of comprehensive programs for continuous school improvement.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Principal
Manhattan Early College Academy for Marketing and Media Arts
07.2018 - Current
- Hiring and supervising all new personnel
- Creating a positive culture and climate through the development of teacher teams, affinity groups, student caucuses and the re-design of school-wide Advisory program
- Supervision of MECA's Early College program partnership with the Borough of Manhattan Community College
- Organizing and facilitating Steering Committee meetings bringing together stakeholders from all segments of MECA's community, including CUNY-ECI personnel, members of the Office of Postsecondary Readiness, the Borough of Manhattan Community College, The 4As and various industry partners, students, parents and high school faculty
- Development of MTSS reading intervention program for secondary school students
- Designing and facilitating instructional walk-throughs to ensure norming for administrative cabinet
- Examining patterns and trends through centrally provided platforms (i.e. ADVANCE) to support the administrative cabinet with observation protocols around feedback and the promotion of best pedagogical practices
- Facilitating the teacher tenure process with administrative cabinet members including the collection of appropriate artifacts, analysis of data, and navigating difficult conversations
- Supervising and supporting Peer Collaborative Teacher and school-wide Professional Development team to ensure that all school goals and initiatives are addressed and met
- Decision making process regarding budget and all expenditures
- Participation in Leadership Learning Exchanges with Early College/Urban Assembly Affinity principals and pedagogues throughout New York City
- Participant in NYCPS Portrait of a Graduate panel at NYCPS Affinity Symposium
- Member of NYCPS Principals Portrait of a Graduate working group
- Creation of Peer Mentoring program to assist with meeting social-emotional needs of young adults impacted by COVID-19 in partnership with Work Learn Grow and Youth Advocacy; featured at SXSWEDU 2026
- Creation of Young Women's support group to assist with meeting social-emotional needs of at-risk adolescent males
Master Assistant Principal
John Dewey High School
07.2015 - 06.2018
- Supported the Master Principal in supervising and facilitating the redesign of John Dewey High School
- Hiring and supervising all new personnel
- Designing and facilitating all Professional Learning series for administrative cabinet
- Creating a positive culture and climate through on-going teacher, SLT, and UFT consultation meetings
- Helping to create and supervise the Dewey Kingsborough College Connections program to ensure greater college access for underrepresented John Dewey High School students
- Designing and facilitating instructional walk-throughs to ensure norming for administrative cabinet
- Examining patterns and trends through ADVANCE to support administrative cabinet with observation protocols around feedback
- Facilitating the teacher tenure process with administrative cabinet members including the collection of appropriate artifacts, analysis of data, and navigating difficult conversations
- Supervising and supporting UFT Teacher Center Instructional Specialist and school-wide Professional Development team to ensure that all school goals and initiatives are addressed and met
- Supervising students and staff at John Dewey High School while Master Principal continues work off-site related to Kingsborough Early College Secondary School
- Decision making process regarding budget and all expenditures
- Attending Superintendent's Principal Meetings and participating in Leadership Learning Exchanges with principals and pedagogues throughout Brooklyn
Assistant Principal
Kingsborough Early College Secondary School
09.2012 - 07.2015
- Supervised instruction within English, Social Studies and Science Departments
- Worked with Kingsborough Community College faculty members to ensure alignment between high school English curricula and CUNY college readiness expectations
- Supervised all Student and Senior Activities for middle and high school (2006 – 2015)
- Coordinated the implementation of all school-wide professional development activities
- Responsible for implementation of department-wide classroom inter-visitations using Danielson model to engage all teachers in the practice of developing meaningful peer-to-peer feedback
- Developed templates used by administration to provide teachers with meaningful feedback as the result of both classroom observations and relevant student data
- Co-created Research Writing curricula
- Created Independent Reading scope and sequence for both middle school and high school
- Coordinated development of tenure portfolios for all probationary teachers annually
- Assisted with development of meaningful CEP goals annually
- Assisted with creation and modification of CEP annually
- Worked with consultancy and staff to continually modify Advisory curricula intended to meet the social and emotional needs of individual cohorts of students
UFT Teacher Center Instructional Specialist
Kingsborough Early College Secondary School
07.2010 - 08.2012
- Created differentiated Professional Development plan alongside administration for diverse staff of 30 educators
- Designed and implemented weekly Professional Development sessions
- Coordinated and implemented text-based Professional Learning Series for instructors based on needs identified by administration
- Oversaw NYC mandated mentoring programs for all new KECSS instructors
- Coordinated ongoing weekly New Teacher learning series
- Lead year-long targeted inter-visitations with staff members selected by administration
- Re-designed and maintained flourishing KECSS Teacher Center site
- Attended monthly UFT Teacher Center Professional Development
Founding English Teacher
Kingsborough Early College Secondary School
07.2006 - 08.2012
- Oversaw English Department as Department Chair for middle and high school (2009 – 2012)
- Served as Enrichment Specialist for middle and high school
- Member of School Leadership Team
- Member of Inquiry Team
- Served as Advisor to cohort of legacy students
- Created, implemented, and revised year-long thematic literature units for diverse learners using identified power standards and relevant data for grades 6-12
- Filled various needs at school including ICT instruction, NYS middle school exam preparation, NYS English Regents preparation, co-coordinator of overnight trips
- Developed and presented professional development workshops on the following in 2009-2010 school year: Using Power standards to develop your curriculum; Benchmarking & Student Goal Setting; Creating Data Driven Instruction; Joseph Renzulli's School-wide Enrichment Model
- Attended Confratute at University of Connecticut as school ambassador July 2006 & 2007
English Teacher
The Bay Academy for the Arts and Sciences
09.2000 - 06.2006
- Created and implemented year-long thematic literature units for gifted and talented sixth and eighth grade English classes
- Adapted and implemented Literature Circle unit for sixth and eighth grade English classes
- Utilized Balanced Literacy/workshop model in the classroom
- Utilized both Reading and Workshop in the classroom
- Utilized both classics and contemporary young adult fiction in the classroom
Education
Masters of Science - School Building/District Leadership
Touro College
Bachelors of Arts - undefined
SUNY New Paltz
Skills
- UbD Curriculum Development
- Secondary Literacy Interventions/MTSS
- NYS Portrait of a Graduate
- Early College/Dual Enrollment
- Advisory Design and Implementation
- Career and Technical Education
- Positive Culture and Climate
- ABAR Education
- CUNY P-Tech Model 9-14
- New Teacher Mentorship
- Restorative Design Principles
Timeline
Principal
Manhattan Early College Academy for Marketing and Media Arts
07.2018 - Current
Master Assistant Principal
John Dewey High School
07.2015 - 06.2018
Assistant Principal
Kingsborough Early College Secondary School
09.2012 - 07.2015
UFT Teacher Center Instructional Specialist
Kingsborough Early College Secondary School
07.2010 - 08.2012
Founding English Teacher
Kingsborough Early College Secondary School
07.2006 - 08.2012
English Teacher
The Bay Academy for the Arts and Sciences
09.2000 - 06.2006
Bachelors of Arts - undefined
SUNY New Paltz
Masters of Science - School Building/District Leadership
Touro College