At the Jan. 10, meeting of the board of education, the appointment of Manuela (Terry) Horowitz as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction of the Great Neck Public Schools, effective March 1, 2005, was unanimously approved by the board. President Lawrence Gross called on Dr. Ronald Friedman, superintendent of schools, to provide information on the position, the selection process, and Ms. Horowitz's experience as an educator.

Dr. Friedman outlined the recent history concerning assistant superintendents for instruction in the district. He indicated that Mary Bonner was named assistant superintendent in July 2001, following the retirement of Dr. Arlette Sanders, assistant superintendent-secondary. When Dr. Sheila Terens, assistant superintendent-elementary, retired in 2002, it was determined that her position would be filled once a new superintendent was in place. Dr. Friedman, who became superintendent on Aug. 1, 2004, upon the retirement of Dr. William Shine, stated that, by late October, he had a clear vision of how the needs of the district could best be met by an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for grades PreK-12.

The position was advertised in The New York Times and a selection committee consisting of 11 teachers and administrators was formed. The committee held an organizational meeting and developed questions and focus points for the selection process. After several rounds of intensive interviews, writing samples, and reference checks of a number of the applicants, Ms. Horowitz emerged as the unanimous choice of the selection committee. Board trustee Donald Ashkenase said, "One of the great strengths of our school district is the selection process that we have in place."

Dr. Friedman noted that Ms. Horowitz is currently assistant superintendent for elementary education in the Commack Public Schools. Before that, she was Commack's director of instructional support services, after three decades as a teacher and administrator in two other districts, Harborfields and Long Beach.

Dr. Friedman added, "Resumes don't always match candidates in terms of the human element. When a candidate like Terry Horowitz comes along, her personality matches the attributes on her resume. Terry Horowitz cares about kids." This is clearly illustrated by her sustained involvement as a volunteer and advocate at the Association for the Help of Retarded Children's (AHRC) Intensive Care Facility in Plainview. Ms. Horowitz is a Lifetime Member of AHRC and was awarded a lifetime membership in PTA by the Long Beach PTA Council in recognition of her efforts on behalf of children and their families.

Following approval of her appointment, Ms. Horowitz briefly addressed the board and those in attendance at the meeting. She said, "I am so excited to be appointed tonight and to become part of the team here. As an educator on Long Island for more than 32 years, I know the excellence of this district. This was reaffirmed during the screening procedure, when so many outstanding questions were asked of me. I am honored to join the educational team in Great Neck."

Dr. Friedman, in a written communication to the board of education, said, "Terry's background and credentials are just right for this position, based on our review ... of district needs. In addition, her personality and style of leadership comport very favorably... As a principal, a K-12 director of instruction, and an assistant superintendent, Terry has handled diverse and complex educational matters effectively, earned the respect of her boards of education, colleagues, and parent communities, and will bring a very visible, enthusiastic, knowledgeable presence to our school district. She is at home in such diverse areas of instruction as reading K-12, secondary mathematics, foreign language, gifted/enhanced, Advanced Placement, and special education. Terry is also well-versed in educational technology. In addition, she ... has native fluency in Spanish and provides an enhancement to our leadership team in an important cultural area of our community..."

According to a statement by Ms. Horowitz, "The ability to provide effective leadership in the position of an assistant superintendent develops as a byproduct of working collaboratively with staff and community, building trust while providing support and assistance." She said, "I believe that my interpersonal skills reflect a sensitivity gained from my years of successfully working with staff, including central office and building administrators, teachers, and support personnel. I also have had much positive experience with parents, students, board members, and others within the educational community. I take particular pride in having embraced the high standards to which the Commack school district aspires, helping to raise achievement levels to meet and then elevate these standards."

About coming to Great Neck, Ms. Horowitz wrote, "... The Great Neck Public Schools have a reputation that is beyond reach of other districts.... At this point in my career, I value the opportunity to serve as Great Neck's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and to work with a board and community that demands and, at the same time, appreciates talent and sensitivity. This position will allow me to practice creative educational leadership in a community that enjoys a reputation for inclusiveness, collaboration, high standards, and excellence."

Ms. Horowitz's long career in public education began in 1973 as a teacher in the Long Beach City School District. She remained in Long Beach for 24 years, as a teacher and an administrator.

Over the course of 22 years, including the years (1985-1989) when Dr. Friedman was assistant superintendent for instruction and personnel in Long Beach, Ms. Horowitz taught in the high school (Spanish), elementary schools (kindergarten and first and second grades), and prekindergarten. She also served as bilingual resource consultant for two years. In 1994, Ms. Horowitz was the teacher-in-charge/prekindergarten director. For the next two years, she was principal of the Lido Elementary School.

From 1997-2001, Ms. Horowitz was principal of the Taylor Avenue Early Childhood Center and district coordinator of English as a Second Language (ESL) in the Harborfields Public Schools. From there, she moved to the Commack Public Schools, where she is assistant superintendent.

Ms. Horowitz received a certificate in administration and supervision from Hofstra University. She holds a master of arts in bilingualism from Hofstra and a master of science in elementary education from C.W. Post Campus, Long Island University (LIU). Her bachelor of arts in comparative languages is also from C.W. Post Campus, LIU. She is fluent in Spanish (as a child, English and Spanish were spoken in her home) and also studied German, Italian, and Portuguese. Ms. Horowitz was an adjunct instructor of elementary education methods and of the student-teaching seminar at SUNY-Old Westbury.

Among the honors that Ms. Horowitz has received are the New York State United Teachers Friend of Education Award in May 2004 and the Long Beach Intercultural Coalition Recognition Award in 1997. She was also the recipient of a fellowship, scholarship, and assistantship for her graduate studies at Hofstra and LIU.

Ms. Horowitz and her husband, Norman, who is a manager at EDO, an aerospace company in Amityville, reside in Plainview. They have two sons, Michael, 26, a software engineer in Manhattan; and Matthew, 22, a recent graduate of the University of Vermont with a major in business.