Elmont elementary superintendent Kenneth Rosner to leave school district

Elmont Union Free School District superintendent Kenneth Rosner said he is leaving his position at the end of the academic year and plans to take over as superintendent of the East Meadow School District. He made this announcement April 19 at an East Meadow school board meeting.
Effective Sept. 1, Rosner will replace Kenneth Card, who is retiring as East Meadow’s superintendent after six years in the position.
This means the Sewanhaka and Elmont school districts are losing three administrators, including Sewanhaka Central High School District Superintendent James Grossane and Elmont Memorial High School principal Kevin Dougherty. Both also plan to leave their posts this summer. 
“It has been an honor and a privilege to work with Mr. Rosner throughout the years,” Grossane said. “I wish him well on this new endeavor.”
Many parents in the Elmont community expressed shock and disappointment to hear the news of Rosner’s planned departure. Prior to Rosner’s decision to leave, Elmont parents had recently met to discuss possible strategies in response to Dougherty and Grossane stepping down — including potentially voting down the 2023-24 budget next month.

Elmont school board Trustee Tiffany Capers said she was not made aware of Rosner’s departure plans before his announcement.
She said she wished Rosner well and would strongly support parental involvement in the search process for the next Elmont superintendent.
“It is truly regrettable that at a time like this, where we are in the middle of a $52 million bond, nearing our budget vote and with the instability of losing our Elmont high school principal, that this happened,” Capers said in a statement. “I will make it my business to make sure our scholars and our community are well taken care of. Far too long our parents haven’t had that seat at the table, the time is now.”
Rosner began working in the Elmont elementary school district in 2006 and served as principal of Clara H. Carlson School for 11 years. In 2017, he was appointed as the district’s director of curriculum and instruction.
In this position, he developed a district vision for project-based learning, an individualized professional development plan, a teacher- and parent-friendly report card, and school-based action plans.
He became the Elmont elementary school district superintendent in March 2020.
“We are honored to welcome Mr. Rosner as our next superintendent,” said Alisa Baroukh, president of the East Meadow school board, in a statement. “His varied experience, as well as his philosophy of advocating and expanding opportunities for all students, is an ideal fit for our district. We look forward to Mr. Rosner’s leadership and working with him to lead our district to even greater levels of success.”
Similar to Elmont, the East Meadow school district has recently found itself amid controversy after released undercover videos showed David Casamento, the district’s assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, discussing DEI — diversity, equity, and inclusion — being taught covertly in schools across Long Island.
Parents expressed their outrage at a March 8 Board of Education meeting where they criticized Casamento for his “secrecy” and opposition to hiring conservative-leaning candidates in light of the DEI rubric.
Casamento has since been “administratively reassigned,” and he will not be in any East Meadow district buildings.
At the East Meadow school board meeting April 19, Rosner said the work he has done as Elmont’s elementary school district superintendent “may not perfectly translate” to what needs to be done in East Meadow, but he hopes to build relationships with community members in the next few months as this transition takes place.
“There’s a philosophy that I really follow — if you don’t have a seat at the table, you become an item on the menu,” Rosner said to the audience at the East Meadow board meeting. “My job is to get everyone to that table.”

Additional reporting by Mallory Wilson.