Patrick Miraglia has returned to his roots at Monticello Central School District, joining Kenneth L. Rutherford Elementary School as the new assistant principal. The Board of Education officially appointed Mr. Miraglia to the position at the Nov. 2 meeting.
Originally from Wurtsboro, NY, Mr. Miraglia is no stranger to MCSD schools; he was previously a student at Emma Chase Elementary and Robert J. Kaiser Middle School, bringing a unique perspective to the position. He joins MCSD from the Enlarged City School District of Middletown, where he was an English teacher at Middletown High School, in addition to an administrative intern for associate principal William Donohue.
Mr. Miraglia began his career at the School of the New York Times in June 2018, working alongside journalists teaching writing classes to international students in grades eight through twelve. In September 2020, Mr. Miraglia became a full-time educator at Sullivan West High School, where he taught ninth grade English and served as the Student Council Advisor. The COVID-19 pandemic was still prevalent during this time, and after seeing its effects on students, Mr. Miraglia was inspired to become a school leader.
“Students deserve to have a compassionate, and energetic leader that is there for the long haul; to watch them grow beyond our doors. Whether that is going on up to RJK Middle School, or watching them grow for the next decade as they go to prestigious universities, and/or enter the workforce. There was a door open for teacher leaders to continue education with a Masters in Educational Leadership through Long Island University, and I took the opportunity and ran with it,” said Mr. Miraglia.
During his tenure at Middletown High School, Mr. Miraglia excelled in several leadership roles and opportunities, especially those that focused on student advocacy. He was a member of the School Improvement Team (SIT) Committee and the district’s Social Emotional Learning Committee; both focused on different ways to improve school climate and mitigate the negative effects on student behavior caused by the pandemic. Mr. Miraglia was also the co-advisor of PRISM, a club that provided safe spaces to students of the LGBT+ community.
While Mr. Miraglia is still getting used to his new role, he’s had an extraordinary start and is ready to hit the ground running. “I will start to sound like a broken record over my first six weeks, as the number one phrase I have said throughout this process and beyond is, ‘I am just so excited to get started.’ Getting to return to the school district that helped make me the person that I am is one that I do not take lightly. I am excited to get to know all of the teachers, staff, and students and make up for lost time this school year.”