John Dolan’s tenure as Sachem North principal ended this week as he will embark on a new chapter in his professional life as the Superintendent of Schools in East Islip. He spoke with Sachem Report briefly about his time in the principal’s office at Sachem North.
The Sachem Report: What was the best part of being principal at Sachem North?
John Dolan: “The best part is when a student approaches me and they feel comfortable enough. It makes me proud to walk down the halls and have everyday interaction with students. It’s what I’m most proud of and what I’m going to miss the most.”
SR: Why take this next step in your career?
JD: “I think the time was right. The needs of the East Islip School District seem to fit my skill set. It’s a challenge. I’ve been a principal for a long time and have an expectation for how I want to do the job. I was beginning to wonder how much longer I can do it at the level I expected of myself. Whenever you change jobs and going from principal to superintendent, it seems linear, but there is a major difference and it’s going to force me to look inside myself and I want to see if we can take the success on the building level across a school district.”
SR: How has every step in your career prepared you for this next step?
JD: “Everyday I walk into a school building is interesting and has prepared me for this. What you’re dealing with are people. We don’t teach courses, we teach kids. Parents take their children at a young age, put them on a school bus and trust us. The school district takes care of a parent’s most precious belonging and every single day in my career I take great pride in every interaction I have. I’m taking 30 years of experience and I’ll be dealing with people still. My experience with kids has prepared me for this position and learning to make people comfortable that we’re doing the best we can for their child.”
SR: Final words for Sachem?
JD: “I’ve loved every minute working with the folks in Sachem. In some ways it’s surreal. I really thought I would retire from this chair. I want to say from the bottom of my heart thank you very much. I will always love Sachem. Sachem has made me a better person and I will never forget that. I hope everyone keeps in touch and tell the kids to hug their parents.”
–As told to Chris R. Vaccaro