Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Growing up in Haiti, Frantz Dorsainvil dreamed of becoming an architect, hoping one day to build a home for his mother. Today, as the assistant principal of Walnut Street Elementary, he’s building something just as impactful — futures. After a journey of trial and error during his studies, he discovered a different kind of blueprint: one that led him to authorship.
Dorsainvil’s mother was a visionary who believed deeply in the power of education. “Doesn’t matter what you’re going to do, what you’re going to learn — just keep doing whatever you’re supposed to be doing,” she told him.
When he arrived in the United States at age 16, he carried with him the mindset of many Haitian men — aiming for a career in engineering, law, medicine, or agriculture. Women, were typically encouraged to pursue nursing or anything in the medical field.
Determined to follow that path, he began studying civil engineering, the first step toward architecture. But something didn’t feel right. “You don’t have to be like everyone else,” he said. He realized his true passion wasn’t in designing buildings — it was in shaping minds.
That decision marked a major turning point. Instead of building structures, he began building relationships. It began with education where he received a Bachelor of Science in Education at Nassau Community College, two master’s one in Long Island University Post and College of New Rochelle. He even went to get his doctorate in education from Dowling College.
Now celebrating 30 years in education — most of them as a teacher in the Uniondale School District — Dorsainvil was promoted to assistant principal in 2015. His decades of experience inspired his first book, “College Still Matters” 2021, a project 10 years in the making aimed at encouraging young people to stay in school and go for higher education.
His latest book, “The Gift You Give Beyond the Classroom” 2024, targets a different audience. Current educators. In it, he shares strategies for achieving financial stability and personal fulfillment — lessons often overlooked in the profession.
“Sometimes current educators aren’t taking advantage of the financial benefits — that I call them — available to them,” he said, referencing tools like the 403(b) retirement plan and the power of compound interest.
The book serves as a practical guide, covering topics like tax benefits, savings strategies, and career-advancing leadership opportunities. It’s a call to action for teachers to recognize and utilize the unique advantages their profession offers.
“There are benefits people don’t think about. A lot of the time, it’s just about the initial salary,” he said. “But teachers only work 180 days a year. That leaves time to explore other talents or participate in extracurricular activities — mentoring, after-school programs,” he said. Additional help can bring additional financial rewards.
He emphasizes the importance of planning. “Their savings is based on how much they contribute to their retirement plan.” But with strategies, he recommends individuals to discuss their goals with their financial advisors.
According to the state’s teacher retirement system, the average teacher retires at age 55 or after 35 years of service, collecting a public pension. Dorsainvil wants more teachers to realize the full value of their profession — not just in impact, but in financial well-being.
“If you work about half the calendar year, you have the rest of the time to grow personally and professionally,” he said. “And if you’re looking to build a family, being an educator is one of the best ways to do it.”
