Commack, NY - April 23, 2014 - The Commack School District is proud to announce that five of our teachers were named to the New York State "Master Teacher Cohort" in the areas of math and science.  Congratulations to: Amy Cappiello, Kristin Holmes, Stephanie O'Brien, Christina Pawlowski, and Derek Pope, all Commack High School science and math teachers. Our teachers, the most from any school on Long Island (42 total), will work with other Master Teachers at Stony Brook University for the next four years, engaging in peer mentoring and intensive content-oriented professional development opportunities.

Superintendent of Commack Schools, Dr. Donald James, reflects the feelings of administration and staff throughout the District: "We are very proud of the teachers that were selected to be in the  New York State Master Teachers Cohort. Their expertise and dedication mirrors that of many, many Commack teachers and this work, combined with our expanding, nationally recognized science research program and the significant increase in the number of higher level math and science courses, ensures that Commack continues to be at the forefront in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)."

"‌The NYSMTP recognizes the work of the highest-performing STEM teachers by establishing an expert community dedicated to developing expertise in the areas of content, pedagogy and students families and communities. Master Teachers are committed to ongoing professional work in addition to their regular school responsibilities, and serve as mentors and models for STEM teaching throughout NYS. Providing highly skilled teachers with a community of like-minded professionals and top quality growth experiences with the rich resources within the SUNY network keeps our best teachers refreshed and inspired to stay in the classroom and ultimately attracts talented students into careers in STEM fields including STEM education," according to the NYSMTP website.