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Light Rain New District 13 superintendent is getting to work
She hasn’t even been on the job two weeks yet, but Dr. Adrienne Robb-Fund can see herself staying in District 13 “forever.” The new superintendent, who started on July 1 to replace the retired Dr. Elizabeth Lison, says it has been a pleasant experience so far.
“I’ve felt extremely welcomed,” Robb-Fund said. “Everyone has been so nice and so wonderful. It’s very warm and friendly.”
In her first few days on the job, Robb-Fund visited all four schools in the elementary district, talking with the principals and any staff members who were around. She already got to meet some of the district’s children who are participating in the various summer programs.
Robb-Fund said her goal is to meet at least 100 parents in her first 100 days. She said in the coming weeks she will hold some informal meetings at her office in the James A. Dever School. “I like to know people’s names and I like to know about them,” she said.
Before Valley Stream
Born in Brooklyn, Robb-Fund said her family almost moved to Valley Stream when she was a young child, but instead settled in Massapequa Park, which she said was the eastern end of the suburbs back then. She graduated from Farmingdale High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Connecticut.
Robb-Fund stayed in New England to begin her career. She was a special education teacher in Massachusetts for five years, then spent another four years teaching reading. During that time, Robb-Fund earned her master’s degree and doctorate. She never thought she would end up back on Long Island, but job circumstances brought her and her husband back. “We ended up back in Massapequa, about a mile from my parents,” she said.
She took a job as assistant principal of the new kindergarten center in the William Floyd School District, overseeing about 680 students. After two years, Robb-Fund moved to Wantagh, where she spent the majority of her career. She was a sixth-grade teacher for a year, as well as the director of reading. For 14 years, she doubled as the leader of the reading program and as assistant principal of Wantagh Elementary School.
