Honoring a leader in education

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Rockville Centre resident Patricia Sullivan-Kriss was honored last month for her longtime commitment to education. On Sept. 22, she received the New York State Council of School Superintendents Distinguished Service Award, the highest award given to a retired superintendent, at a ceremony in upstate Saratoga Springs.

“I was honored, and was quite surprised, when I received the phone call telling me that I had been selected to be the recipient of the award,” Sullivan-Kriss said. “It is humbling and wonderful to be recognized for that which I have loved doing for so many years.”

Sullivan-Kriss grew up in Rockville Centre, and graduated from South Side High School in 1973. It was during her senior year of high school, she said, that she first considered becoming an educator. “I knew that I loved helping children,” she said, “but was a bit baffled as to how to accomplish it.”

In her acceptance speech, she joked that she toyed with the idea of becoming a pediatrician, “but couldn’t balance a chemical equation.” A career as a nurse was out because she faints at the sight of blood, she added.

“Upon investigation, I realized that I could nurture and serve children in the new field of education called special education,” she said.

She taught for two years in Maryland before returning to Rockville Centre after marrying her husband, Steve. From there, her career took her all over Long Island, where she held positions as assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, deputy superintendent and superintendent. She worked in Carle Place for 13 years, spent six years in Plainview-Old Bethpage, was superintendent in Hauppauge for 10 years and spent her final two years as superintendent in West Hempstead before retiring in 2018.

Throughout her career, Sullivan-Kriss raised four children and still found the time to serve as a Girl Scout leader, fundraise for preschool, sit on the boards of the Rockville Centre Education Foundation and Music and Performing Arts Association, and be involved in other professional organizations. Some of the positions she held include School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) Region II vice president, president of the Nassau Association of Directors of Curriculum, Section XI Athletic Association representative and member of the legislative committee in Suffolk County. In 2010, she became a member of NYSCOSS’s House of Delegates, and served as the president of the council in 2016.

“I found myself never able to keep my hand down when volunteers were sought,” she said.

The annual award is given to someone who has spent years as an educator as well as serving the community. One requirement for the award, which was established in 1968, is that the honoree must be retired for five years or less.

“They know the honoree’s work as a superintendent, but look back to see the service over the years,” Sullivan-Kriss said.

She said it was a huge honor, because there are about 700 superintendents across the state. The honoree must be nominated, and the nominees go before a selection committee of about a dozen.

At the awards ceremony, Dr. William Johnson, superintendent of the Rockville Centre School District, who is the chair of the Distinguished Service Committee, gave the introduction.

“This award is given in recognition of that one individual who has shown exemplary commitment to public education,” Johnson said. “Patricia is a remarkable leader who has given of herself well above and beyond and for the extraordinary difference she has made in the lives of the students, families and colleagues.”

One of her priorities as the council’s president was to focus on inclusiveness and diversity. During her presidential year, the council initiated a Task Force on Diversity, which transformed into the Commission on Diversity and Inclusivity.

According to Chuck Dedrick, executive director of NYSCOSS, this is the accomplishment of Sullivan-Kriss’s that stands out. “Pat was the driving force of the commission,” Dedrick said, which “has traveled the state advocating for inclusive practices in schools.”

He said the commission advocated for more people of color to have roles as teachers, principals and superintendents. “She will go down in history for that,” Dedrick said.

A women’s initiative started the year before her presidency, he said, and it “took off” during her tenure, encouraging more women to become superintendents. She was also president during Dedrick’s transition to executive director, and he said she was someone he and others learned from. “She has been an incredible mentor to leaders around the state, from Buffalo to Long Island,” Dedrick said, “and to both men and women superintendents.”

Even in retirement, Sullivan-Kriss is still trying to make a difference in the world. Now that she and her husband, a retired principal from Oceanside, have the time to travel, they’ve visited the Galapagos Islands and have plans to see Morocco this fall. They are not only exploring the world, but also adding on an educational component by visiting local schools, talking to teachers and gathering necessary supplies for students.

In her speech, Sullivan-Kriss dedicated the award to her father, Paul Sullivan, a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient. She said he also served on many volunteer organizations in Rockville Centre, including the Board of Education and the mayor’s finance advisory board. “While I did not do it consciously,” she said, “I believe my core values of supporting family, colleagues and community sprung from my deep love and admiration for dad and how he lived his life.”

She said she was thrilled that three of her four children were able to attend the ceremony and see her receive the award. “This award brings a kind of closure to a 41-year career,” Sullivan-Kriss said.