Tony D’Angelo always wanted to be an elementary school principal. But because the opportunities were slim in Weehawken, where D’Angelo had spent more than 10 years as a teacher, in 1991 he went outside of the school district to get his first chance – to Challis, Idaho, of all places.
“I saw an ad in a newspaper and decided to take a shot at it,” D’Angelo said. “I figured that was my chance to be a principal.”
However, after one year in very rural Idaho, D’Angelo, who was born in Italy and raised in Astoria, Queens, had to come back.
“I didn’t like the lifestyle out there,” D’Angelo said.
D’Angelo began his career in Weehawken as a seventh and eighth grade science teacher in the 1970s after earning a master’s from Hunter College. He eventually became the head soccer coach at Weehawken High School, a job he did for 13 years, leading the Indians to the HCIAA championship in 1980 and the Bergen County Scholastic League crown in 1984. He returned from Idaho to become the district’s substance awareness coordinator and eventually became a vice-principal in charge of discipline at the high school.
With Principal Anthony LaBruno at the helm of the Roosevelt School and Art Palumbo comfortable as the long-time principal at Webster School (see sidebar), D’Angelo really didn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel.
However, when Palumbo announced that he was retiring after 43 years in the district during the 2002 Christmas holidays, the door finally opened up for D’Angelo.
He was approved by the Board of Education right before the Christmas break. When the Webster School students returned to classes Jan. 2, they had a new principal in D’Angelo.
It’s been a different way of life for D’Angelo, who went from doling out discipline on teenagers to overseeing the activities of students from pre-kindergarten through second grade.
“This is a little bit more relaxed,” D’Angelo said. “As an elementary school principal, I don’t get to deal much with the kids on a one-on-one basis like I used to. It’s definitely going to be different.”
D’Angelo had wondered what it would be like to replace a highly respected fixture and father figure like Palumbo.
“I thought about that a lot,” D’Angelo said. “Coming in during the middle of the year is definitely beneficial to me, because I can see what Artie had in place and try to make sure everything stays the way it was. It’s going to be very difficult to follow Artie’s legacy, but I really hope to establish my own. I hope to make it even more difficult for the person who eventually takes my place.”
D’Angelo said that he would like to eventually implement a “Read to the Principal” program, in which the younger students come in to read to him.
“That’s down the road a little,” D’Angelo said. “I’d like to get that started, perhaps beginning next year.”
Superintendent of Schools Kevin McLellan says D’Angelo will do a fine job as the new principal at Webster.
“Tony is a veteran of the district and a very skilled administrator,” McLellan said. “I think he represents the perfect transition from Artie to Tony. He’s very knowledgeable about instruction and I have every expectation that he will carry on the tradition of excellence at Webster. He has a great rapport with the parents and the teachers.”
D’Angelo said that he is looking forward to the challenges that face Webster School in the near future. There are plans to extend the school by three classrooms within the next year as well as extending the early childhood pre-kindergarten classes to full-day sessions.
“I think having full-day PreK will be beneficial to all our students,” D’Angelo said. “They will be better prepared when they get to other levels. I think the extended days will give me a chance to learn more about being a principal.”
D’Angelo was treated to a resounding sendoff from the students at Weehawken High. They presented him with a plaque of appreciation.
“And they gave me a standing ovation,” D’Angelo said. “I didn’t expect any of that. I’ll miss the kids and the staff, but this is what I always wanted. It was definitely worth the wait.”
There is one comfort zone that D’Angelo has found in the first two weeks at his new position.
“I’m starting to find out that the parents in this school are mostly all former students of mine,” D’Angelo said. “It helps that they’re all familiar with me.”