With Dr. Scott Mosenthal retiring from Irvington Schools, where he has worked for almost four decades, Irvington High School found itself in need of a new leader.
David Cohen, currently the principal of Midwood High School in Brooklyn, was appointed as the school's new principal in April and will assume his new position on July 1.
Read on to learn more about Irvington High School's new principal.
Name: David Cohen
Age: 44
Where do you live? Queens
Family? Divorced. I adore my 12 year old step-daughter
Work History (Employer , title, length of employment): My entire educational career (19 years) has been in NYC. I spent 12 years at Robert F. Kennedy High School in Queens as a teacher and then an assistant principal. The last 7 years I have served as principal of Midwood High School in Brooklyn Prior to becoming an educator, I spent 4 years in accounting, 2 years working for Coopers & Lybrand and then 2 years serving as the CFO of Teach for America.
Education: Undergraduate degree in Accounting from SUNY Albany. Masters degree in Secondary Education Mathematics from Queens College. My administrative coursework was at Touro College.
Terms of Salary/Benefits at IHS: $180,000/yr with standard benefits
Why did you want to become the next principal of Irvington High School? What attracted you to the school district?
As principal of Midwood HS, a school with 4,000 students, I often found myself leading systems rather than individuals. I have craved the opportunity to become more hands-on as a leader. In my search I came upon the job opening at Irvington.
In my research and initial interview experiences I learned that Irvington is a wonderful and intimate community with a tremendous history of educational success. In my search, I was looking to find the right fit where I could be more involved with students, teachers and families.
As the process unfolded and I met more and more people within the school community, it became clear to me that Irvington High School presented itself as that right fit.
Why do you think you are the best person for the job?
Given the school’s history of success and the tremendous leadership provided by Dr. Mosenthal, I think it was important for Irvington to find an experienced principal capable of carrying forward the great reputation of the school while also assisting in addressing the current educational reform issues such as the common core and APPR.
I believe my experiences as an educational leader make me the right person to meet these challenges.
How are you planning on getting to know the Irvington School District Community?
We are planning some meet and greets with the school community during the spring and the summer. I have also scheduled various days between now and the end of June to meet with members of the district office as well as Dr. Mosenthal in order to help me learn as much as I can about the Irvington UFSD.
What is your first order of business as principal at IHS?
To learn about what is already in place and allow for the school community to get to know me as a leader while I get to know the individuals involved as well. I feel it is important for me to try and build trust and confidence from the community and that will be part of my initial focus.
What are some of your short and long terms goals as principal?
My goal is to help develop Irvington High School into the very best school we can become. This includes ensuring that students are supported academically, socially and emotionally and that we are doing our very best to prepare students for college and a life of success.
In order for me to be more specific I will need time to assess the school’s processes and work with the community to identify our strengths and weaknesses. We will then be able to work together to set goals and action plans to meet those goals.
What are some issues facing the school and how will you address these?
Irvington High School was recently ranked in Newsweek and the Daily Beast as the 153rd best high school in the country and the 28th best in the state. That is a tremendous starting point for a leader coming into the school. Rather than be quick to identify areas of issue and suggest opportunities for change, I believe my initial role is to learn about what is already working so well and ensure we continue to support those efforts.
Is there anything you would like to add?
I am truly honored and thrilled to become the next principal of Irvington High School. I am eager to get started and to meet the members of the community.
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