The Scarsdale Inquirer – Hometown newspaper of Scarsdale, New York 10583
By CARRIE GILPIN
Minutes after superintendent Michael McGill sent out an email blast Wednesday morning announcing the hiring of a new principal for Scarsdale High School, the winning candidate took a call at his desk at Townshend Harris High School in Flushing.
“This is Ken Bonamo,” said the newly appointed principal, who answered questions from the Inquirer about his new post.
Bonamo, who is leaving the principalship at Townshend Harris to start his new job in mid-July, won the spot after a national search. Scarsdale’s search committee received 75 applications and interviewed 27 people, bringing several finalists to the school in late April for a full day of tours and meetings.
Bonamo, 36, said he is “humbled and honored” to be given the job and is excited to begin. “It was a great experience,” he said about the full day of interviews. “I met with the community and with parents and administrators and learned what the concerns were. A highlight of the day was meeting with students, who had very insightful, thoughtful questions,” Bonamo said.
Bonamo also said he learned that “an investment in strong leadership” was important to those at SHS, and that the community values a high degree of professionalism and an outstanding education at Scarsdale schools.
“All the feedback was just terrific, from every corner,” said superintendent Michael McGill of Bonamo. “His supervisor describes him as a ‘gem’ and a ‘rising star’ who is thoughtful and strong, but with a collaborative style. He has helped his current school move forward through a time of transition as well,” McGill said.
McGill said that SHS is at present “in sound shape.” Current initiatives like critical and creative thinking are set in place and will continue to move forward, and a “middle ground” of educational issues will emerge out of Bonamo’s future conversations with parents, faculty, administrators and students.
“There is a period of one or two years of listening carefully to the people at your new school before figuring out where the new principal’s vision of education coincides with the ‘felt needs’ locally. Then they can begin to build a common agenda. This is a positive and energizing time,” McGill said.
The search committee included PTA executive board members, faculty, staff, administrators, parents and students. Angela Manson, a local realtor and the president-elect of the Scarsdale High School PTA, was given the assignment of taking the finalists on a tour of Scarsdale. One of Manson’s jobs was to make the candidates feel welcome. She also provided them with information on Scarsdale, giving them copies of The Scarsdale Inquirer and a street map.
“I think all of us were struck by his depth of character and his intellect,” she said of Bonamo. “That really came through. You can see it and hear it. He is very sincere,” she said.
Manson said Bonamo brought up global awareness in his interview, prompting her to point out an Inquirer article on the Interdependence Institute’s Global Conversations panel at SHS several weeks ago.
Bonamo, who grew up on Staten Island, holds a B.A. from the University of Delaware (graduated 1997) in Russian and history and an M.A. from Kean University in educational administration.
Townsend Harris High School is a public magnet high school for the humanities in Queens and New York City, and consistently ranks among the top 100 high schools in the country. It currently ranks 33d out of 100 according to U.S. News and World Report and was recently named the No. 1 high school in New York City by The New York Post. Bonamo has served as the school’s principal for four years.
The process of hiring the new principal was “deliberate, collaborative, thorough and respectful,” said assistant superintendent for personnel Joan Weber. “We owe a debt of gratitude to all those involved.” Weber said Bonamo “brings intelligence, vision, energy, high expectations and a record of accomplishment” with him to Scarsdale.
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May 11, 2012
The Scarsdale Inquirer • P.O. Box 418, 14 Harwood Court, Scarsdale, NY 10583 • (914) 725-2500 Fax (914) 725-1552 • www.scarsdalenews.com
©2012 S.I. Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without the Publisher’s written permission.
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