At its May 22 meeting, the Board of Education appointed Richard Schaffer as the principal of East Rockaway Jr./Sr. High School, effective July 1, 2018.

Mr. Schaffer received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Binghamton University, a Master of Science degree in education, adolescence social studies, from Queen’s College and his school building and district administration certification from the School of Education at LIU Post. He spent more than 17 years at Nathaniel Hawthorne Middle School 74 in Bayside, Queens, where he taught social studies before serving as dean of students and then as assistant principal.

For the past seven years as assistant principal, Mr. Schaffer supervised the social studies, science, foreign language and technology departments. During that time, he introduced and fostered the development of Project-Based Learning across these departments and lead a districtwide professional learning cohort centered around PBL. Mr. Schaffer provided leadership for the development of a partnership with St. Francis College in Brooklyn, allowing students to attend an after-school science program on a college campus; spearheaded a Software Engineering Program at the school, exposing students to 3D printing, web design, coding, videogame and app design; and created a video studio and an associated curriculum. He also significantly increased family engagement at his school, developed the school’s website and social media presence and implemented a series of parent engagement surveys to connect families with the school community. Additionally, he created the school’s first alumni directory and launched a series of alumni events.

“I am thrilled to welcome Mr. Schaffer to our East Rockaway family,” Superintendent of Schools Lisa Ruiz said. “He brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge and I am confident that he will prove to be an invaluable asset to our district.”