The Great Neck Public Schools have accumulated a series of accolades in their history, and the latest has been the naming of Assistant Superintendent Dan Holtzman as Long Island’s administrator of the year.
The award came from the Empire State Supervisors and Administration Association and was delivered at their annual Gala Celebration of School Leadership on April 25.
Holtzman was nominated for the award by his colleagues in the Council of Administrators & Supervisors of Long Island. This professional organization is a Long Island subset of the Empire State organization, which is statewide.
“The committee reviewed the nominations of several experienced and worthy candidates but ultimately chose Dr. Holtzman for his untiring efforts as a teacher and school leader on behalf of his students, staff, and colleagues since 2001,” they wrote in a statement. “The committee heard from his colleagues regarding his outstanding leadership skills, vision, and passion for creating an exciting and rigorous learning environment for his students and staff. Dr. Holtzman is a uniquely talented school leader who has helped improve student achievement at each station along his career path.
The award was granted to Holtzman for his role as the Great Neck North High School principal, which he recently moved from to take on his current role as assistant superintendent for secondary curriculum and instruction. Holtzman stepped into this new role in March.
Holtzman has been an educator for 28 years, starting as a social studies teacher and later serving as an education administrator for the past 20 years.
He came in as North High principal in 2017. He is also the president of the Nassau County High School Principals Association.
He was previously the principal at Shoreham-Wading River High School and the assistant principal at William Floyd High School.
His accomplishments include being selected as a scholarship recipient to attend the Nobel Prize Teacher Summit in Stockholm, Sweden, last year and receiving the state Education Department’s Louis E. Yavner Teaching Award for his efforts in Holocaust education and other human rights violations.
