The elementary principals of Port Washington School District showcased the power of teamwork and innovation in school leadership at the Long Island Education: Leadership Summit, on Friday, May 30, at St. Joseph’s University.
Their presentation, “Better Together: How Principal Collaboration Fuels Innovation, Strength-Based Leadership, and Student Success,” showcased how the unified leadership of five elementary school principals has driven meaningful change across the district.
The Port Washington School District was represented by Eric Mace of Manorhaven Elementary, Meg Sheehan of Sousa Elementary, Kimberly Licato of Guggenheim Elementary, Pia Ferrante of Salem Elementary, and Lucia Laguardia of Daly Elementary.
“Because we feel like we have such a strong team and we work really well together, we put together a proposal to share what we’re doing, and that proposal was like one of the few that were accepted to be presented to different districts that day,” said Mace.
The group emphasized that although they lead five separate schools with distinct communities, they work in tandem toward districtwide progress.
“While we were five different leaders with very different perspectives and different experiences… we worked towards collaborating and improving our buildings and our opportunities for our students throughout the district,” said Mace.
The collaboration was born out of necessity during the pandemic.
“Prior to the pandemic, there was not this feeling of collaboration all the time… But when the pandemic came, we had no choice but to lean on each other and to really go through the trenches together,” said Sheehan.
The group meets weekly, shares resources, and supports each other in real time, from texting for staffing help to co-developing districtwide initiatives. Their approach not only saves time but enhances consistency across schools while honoring each building’s unique culture.
The principals said the model has also directly impacted students by mirroring the collaborative expectations they place on teachers.
“We are modeling what we ask our teachers to do,” said Licato. “If they work together, it’s working smarter, not harder. So we are then modeling that as we come together.”
That collaboration has led to real benefits for students and teachers. From adopting innovative scheduling models that increase classroom engagement to expanding social-emotional learning programs pioneered at individual schools, the principals are actively spreading effective practices districtwide.
Their goal now is to inspire other districts with multiple elementary schools to adopt a similar model.
More than colleagues, the principals said their professional bond has become personal.
“We truly care about each other, we care about our success in school and outside, we care about each other’s families. And we care about each other’s mental health, which is really important. It really helps us to get through the day, to get through the year,” said Sheehan.
