This lifelong Valley Stream Central educator heads curriculum and instruction

Jennifer DiMaio was named superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the Valley Stream Central High School District on Sept, 15, succeeding Christian Bowen, who resigned from the district in August.

DiMaio has spent her entire educational career in the Valley Stream High School district, first in the classroom, as an English as a Second Language teacher at North High School in 2002, then later as the school department chairperson, and eventually as district director for instructional services, the precursor to her current role.

Or, in her words,“the assistant to the assistant superintendent for instruction and curriculum.”

Now she has reintroduced herself to a school community she has known for most of her life as a knowledgeable administrative insider and the district’s leading authority on school teaching strategies and career development.

The Takeaway 

• Jennifer DiMaio was appointed as the new superintendent for curriculum and instruction, succeeding Christian Bowen, progressing from an ESL teacher eventually up to her current role.
• DiMaio, a third-generation Valley Streamer, emphasizes her strong ties to the district, attributing her success to the education she received there. 
• DiMaio highlights the importance of community involvement and adaptability in addressing the diverse needs of students, acknowledging the evolving demographics and emphasizing the district's commitment to student-centric education.

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Valley Stream is also where she makes her home.

“I’m a third-generation Valley Streamer,” DiMaio said of her family’s connection to the school district, which spans generations. “My dad, grandma, and I all attended Valley Stream Central,” she said, crediting much of her success to the education she got in the  district.

“I have a lot of friends who have graduated and been very successful and owe a lot of their success to the school, myself included,” she added. “I really feel strongly that we care about kids, and that we provide our students with an excellent preparation for life after high school.”

After graduating from Central, DiMaio earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Boston University, a master’s in teaching with a focus on teaching English to speakers of other languages, and her doctorate in education from New York University.

“I feel really proud to be a part of this district,” said DiMaio.“What I really love about our district is that we’re always looking for ways to add to the good things that we do, to bring in new programs or to update the curriculum.”

There is a slate of new programs and initiatives including the rollout of a district-wide extra-curriculum robotics program, a financial literacy as a graduation requirement and a new and improved automotive repair program.

While a large portion of her job is spent mining school data to gauge the educational merits and learning outcomes of the district’s growing programs, DiMaio also knows much of the work is staying in touch with and interacting with the community stakeholders.

“While these are for-student programs, it takes a lot of buy-in from the adults in the community that these programs are needed in the school,” said DiMaio.

It requires a great deal of dexterity in thinking to decide what “training staff members need, what the needs of each of the four schools are concerning a new program, or what explanations are best for parents” to grasp the finer details of how each initiative works and how their children stand to benefit.

While developing school instruction from her administrative office rather than the classroom, DiMaio often finds herself calling on her adaptability and responsiveness honed from 15 years of experience as an English as a Second Language instructor.

“Being an ESL teacher, you work with students on a granular level and play different roles for them because the kids come from another educational system and other countries where English is not their first language,” said DiMaio.“Growing up in Valley Stream and having parents that grew up in Valley Stream, they knew where to go to get a pool pass, how to sign me up for sports, who the principal was of the school. But that fact shouldn’t be taken for granted for all students, especially today.”

The curriculum for the district’s nearly 5,000 students has evolved dramatically in response to the changing economic and demographic makeup of the student population, noted DiMaio, and the work is far from over.

“I recognize that we have a community of people, not just English language learners, but lots of people who are coming here from other places, whether it be another country, another state, or just another town,” she added. 

While the district aims for sustainable programs that she hopes will outlast her tenure, she also understands that “what worked 10 years ago might be obsolete now in the face of new demands.”

“I believe what we’re doing is worth believing in,” said DiMaio. “Our staff puts children at the forefront, they put teaching and learning at the forefront, and our students are every bit as appreciative of what we do. And that is precious.”