Central High welcomes new assistant principal

For Jacques Blain, there is no sitting on the sidelines, but rather making slam-dunks over any obstacles in his path. As the new assistant principal at Central High School, he is busy on a mission to provide warmth, guidance and empowerment to every student that walks the halls.

After finding out he got the position, Blain was beyond enthusiastic to take the stage in one of Central’s leading roles. “I was jumping for joy,” he said. “I was at home with my wife and very happy.” And Blain is moving full speed ahead to accomplish every goal and support every student since being appointed by the Board of Education on Aug. 31, and starting his job the next day.

He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Central with more than 10 years of experience in education. But Blain developed a passion for education later in life after exploring early interests in engineering and psychology. But his road to education is one full of fond memories.

After graduating from Nazareth Regional High School in Brooklyn, the East Flatbush native went on to major in psychology at the College of New Rochelle. But he followed some inspiration from a special person — his dad — which led to his decision to climb the education ladder.

“Honestly, I was not really interested in education at first,” he said. “But my dad was a math teacher in Brooklyn and I turned out to be a math teacher. I picked up a lot of his attributes. And I decided to give education a shot.”

Blain said it is great to be in the same career as his father and learn from his dad’s experience working in a tough district. And after learning key classroom management skills from his dad, the married father of three feels well prepared.

Before entering education, Blain armed himself with other necessary tools for success. He earned a master’s degree in school administration from Touro College, and he will receive an advanced degree in school administration from St. John’s University in December.

With hard work, Blain has built an impressive resumé before coming to Central. His first educational position was at I.S. 59 in Springfield Gardens, where he spent five years as a math teacher. He moved closer to Long Island to become a secondary math teacher at South Side Middle School in Rockville Centre for another five years. And with a recent four-year tenure as administrative dean in the Island Park School District, Blain looks forward to making a difference.

“I want to make an impact with the culture and atmosphere of the building,” Blain said. “ And I want to make an impact with the kids. Any opportunity to interact with the kids I hope to make a teaching opportunity, so the kids walk away with something.”

Blain noted that he has received a very warm welcome since arriving at Central, and that he appreciates all the love. “It is a great experience,” he said. “The interaction with the staff is great. They are friendly, supportive and knowledgeable. Everywhere I turn, everyone is always willing to lend a helping hand because I have to learn on the fly.”

Principal Dr. Joseph Pompilio is very happy to have Blain on board. “Mr. Blain brings with him years of professional knowledge,” he said, “a solid work ethic and passion for supporting students.”

Board President Ken Cummings agrees with Pompilio. “Mr. Blain’s experience as an education leader, his compassion for children and success made him a great fit for the assistant principal position,” Cummings said.

And with the community’s well wishes, Blain is taking on this new challenge and setting his professional goals. Though he received an overwhelming welcome, Blain is very thankful and humble. “Any new position is definitely a challenge because you are learning the culture, the ins and outs of the building,” he said. “My goals are very simple — to be successful, to have a positive impact on the building and to continue to be a service to the community.”

Blain is off to a head start to meet those goals. Each day, as students move from class to class, Blain is busy collaborating with school administrators to maintain a positive atmosphere at Central. One of his chief concerns is attendance, and Blain spends much time and effort making sure students are in their classes. In this disciplinary role, he is also concerned with building a good repertoire with students and making them his top priority. And if an opportunity arises, Blain would like to increase character education.

With a clear vision, Blain wants to support Pompilio and increase the number of students who enter Ivy League schools after graduation. “Given the fact we live in the 21st Century, there is a certain set of skills you are required to have,” he said. “My duty and responsibility with the staff is to make sure kids are equipped with these skills.”