PS 24 principal retiring amid controversies

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Oct. 31 update: In letters to P.S. 24 families and staff, District 10 Superindendent Melodie Mashel confirmed that Donna Connelly is retiring on Sunday, Nov. 1. Ms. Mashel praised Ms. Connelly for being a "strong instructional leader." While she begins the process of finding a new principal, Ms. Mashel has put Assistant Principal Andrea Feldman in charge of the school.

Donna Connelly is retiring as principal of the Spuyten Duyvil School (P.S. 24) on Sunday, Nov. 1, according to sources who spoke with the district's superintendent.

Northwest Bronx Councilman Andrew Cohen and District 10's Community Education Council President Marvin Shelton said Superintendent Melodie Mashel had informed them of the move this week.

A P.S. 24 secretary said Ms. Connelly and Assistant Principal Manny Verdi, viewed as her close ally at the school, were not immediately available to comment. Ms. Mashel did not respond to numerous inquiries.

Ms. Connelly's resignation comes after parents learned last week that the lease for off-site classrooms for fifth-grade students expired over the summer. Since the Department of Education let the lease expire on June 30 in spite of efforts from the site of the annex, Whitehall, to continue the contract, 143 students could be evicted from the building in the coming weeks.

Earlier this month, Ms. Connelly faced another firestorm for forcing teachers to discard their desks and filing cabinets. A spokesman for the DOE said the move was to “facilitate better instruction,” but the uproar prompted the desks to be returned several days later.

Ms. Connelly, who became principal in 2009, was viewed as a divisive figure throughout her tenure. While some parents praised her for creating an atmosphere of academic excellence, teachers consistently gave her poor marks in annual surveys. During her tenure, enrollment shot up by almost 250 students. 

Mr. Cohen, who met with school officials and others last night to discuss the lease at Whitehall, said Assistant Principal Andrea Feldman will likely become acting principal once Ms. Connelly's resignation goes into effect.

The councilman appeared to welcome Ms. Connelly's resignation.

"It's a demanding place with highly involved parents and high-perfoming kids, so the principal has to be on their toes," he said. "The community is thoroughly engaged, so it's not a place to coast."

Donna Connelly, PS 24, Andrew Cohen, Whitehall, Melodie Mashel, Isabel Angell

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