Great Neck Public Schools Superintendent Ronald Friedman has been elected to yet another leadership position --- president of the Nassau County Council of School Superintendents. Dr. Friedman, who is entering his fifth year on the executive board of the NCCSS, will serve a one-year term as president. The NCCSS consists of 57 Nassau County school district superintendents.

Extremely enthusiastic to always expend even more efforts on behalf of the education of young children, Dr. Friedman has an impressive history of leadership roles within the education community. He is the only New York State administrator to have served twice as president of the New York State Association of School Personnel Administrators. He served in this post in both 1984 and 1988.

Dr. Friedman also served as president of the Long Island Association of School Personnel Administrators in 1987, and he was president-elect of the New York State Association of Small City School District Administrators in 2004. He was never able to assume the office of the latter position, as before he was sworn in he became superintendent of the Great Neck School District (and Great Neck is not a "small city").

As he takes on the role of president of the NCCSS, Dr. Friedman firmly believes in the importance of "representing the leadership" and he emphasized the vital role of the management of school districts.

"School superintendents deal with all sorts of issues," Dr. Friedman told the Great Neck Record in a recent interview. Though these are supposed to be "the lazy, hazy days of summer," a visit to the superintendent's office at the beautiful old Phipps Building on the school district's south campus is hardly what you would expect from a non-school day summer holiday. The entire building was buzzing with administrators and staff deeply involved in plans and projects for the coming 2008-2009 new school year. Dr. Friedman's energy was contagious, full of plans for his own schools, full of ideas for the NCCSS.

Dealing with so many diverse issues, Dr. Friedman said that he and his colleagues focus on so many areas --- from education to teaching and learning to finance, to building maintenance, to safety and security. Dr. Friedman explained that the NCCSS works together to share information.

He further explained that this organization also "promotes county-wide leadership." Dr. Friedman, his colleagues, and the director employed by the NCCSS all work to coordinate efforts to help everyone "achieve the best practices."

Dr. Friedman went on to say that "We are aware of and involved in the politics of schools ... we lobby for state aid ... and changes in state law to improve education, to protect school boards and taxpayers ..." Dr. Friedman stressed that all of this is "especially important on Long Island," where billions more dollars go to the state than come back.

And, Dr. Friedman particularly emphasized that, for the NCCSS, "first and foremost, we advocate for the children and their families." He further explained that Nassau County is different from other counties

in the quality of education ... and the intensity and fashion of leadership."

According to Dr. Friedman, "around the state, Nassau County is known for and long respected for the most intense, proactive and involved group of school superintendents anywhere."

Working together, the school superintendents in the NCCSS handle diverse issues and offer mutual training. And they offer support to one another.

It isn't all work either. Dr. Friedman especially enjoys the annual NCCSS luncheon for the valedictorians and salutatorians from all of the county's high school graduation classes. The superintendents, high school principals and parents gather to honor this group of students and each student is presented with a special plaque to mark the occasion.

So Great Neck's superintendent Ron Friedman is busy, and obviously loving it all --- the students, the parents, administrators and staff, and now the head of yet another education advocacy group.

"This is a role I enjoy," Dr. Friedman told the Record. But as the top administrator of a top school district, this superintendent will never just sit back and enjoy each success. Ron Friedman is always looking ahead, always looking for new ways to improve his already highly regarded school system. The Great Neck Public Schools can always look forward to fresh approaches, even more enriching curriculums, and advanced methods to bring the very best in education to each individual child.