PS 81 principal to take district-wide post

The Department of Education is poised to appoint  Melodie Mashel, principal of Robert J. Christen, PS 81, as the new  District 10 Community Education Council superintendent.

The current superintendent Sonia Menendez announced over the summer that she planned to retire this fall. No official retirement date had been scheduled as of press time, the DOE said.

Ms. Mashel said she wouldn’t discuss the promotion until after it was finalized.

District 10 CEC President Marvin Shelton described Ms. Mashel as someone with knowledge of local schools’ needs and of “District 10 through and through.” 

Mr. Shelton expressed confidence that she is qualified for the position, which involves appointing principals, rating administrators, approving tenure decisions and school budgets, and working with parents’ associations across the district.

The council anticipates that a DOE official will introduce her as an interim acting superintendent at the CEC’s upcoming Thursday, Sept. 20 meeting. The DOE would not comment.

PS 81 Parents’ Association Co-President Amy Moore said she and Ms. Mashel announced her departure at parent meetings last week. A formal announcement will be made at the Wednesday, Sept. 12 PA meeting. Notices will also be sent home with students, Ms. Moore said.

“While I am sad to see Ms. Mashel go, I am very proud of her for receiving this promotion, which is a direct result of all of the wonderful things she has done for PS 81,” Ms. Moore wrote in an e-mail. “Now the rest of District 10 will get the chance to benefit from her talented and insightful leadership.”

Ms. Moore said she would like to see the District 10 CEC superintendent make PS 81 Assistant Principal Anne Kirrane the interim acting principal because Ms. Kirrane’s “in-depth knowledge of our school’s inner workings and infrastructure will best ensure a smooth administration change-over.”