Bio
New Dorp High School on Staten Island was a very different school before Deirdre DeAngelis arrived in 1999. The school’s transformation was built on DeAngelis’ bold decision to reorganize the school into eight “smaller learning communities,” her pioneering work in the inclusion of special education students in the general school population, and her unwavering focus on strengthening students’ writing ability (including the integration of The Writing Revolution program) in all classes. Today the school is a true national model of excellence, and educators from around the world regularly visit New Dorp to gain insights into how to improve their own schools. Says a former colleague, “Deirdre’s status as a pioneer and innovator is unquestionable.”
