Sciabarra to Lead New Office at Dept. of Ed
Elizabeth Sciabarra has been appointed Chief Executive of the newly created Office of Student Enrollment Planning and Operations. In her new role, Ms. Sciabarra will drive the Department of Education's effort to connect the issues of student placement, zoning, and enrollment to the reforms being implemented to create a system of 1,200 great schools. The Office of Student Enrollment Planning and Operations will subsume the Office of Zoning and Student Placement, which is also responsible for high school admissions.
"Liz Sciabarra's creativity and experience, particularly with high schools, makes her the perfect person to attack head on the overcrowding which is such a challenge in our schools today," Chancellor Joel Klein said.
"Liz and her office will ensure that our efforts to bring excellence and equity to the New York City public school system reflect a thoughtful analysis of and response to enrollment and capacity issues," Deputy Chancellor LaVerne Srinivasan said.
In her new role, Ms. Sciabarra will manage all matters relating to enrollment planning and operations. Her office will collect and analyze all pertinent data and make strategy recommendations aimed at ensuring that the Children First reforms address the overcrowding issues that affect instruction and student choice. Ms. Sciabarra will work closely with John Lee, currently Executive Director of the Office of Zoning and Student Placement.
Ms. Sciabarra began her career as an educator at Brooklyn Technical High School, where she taught English, served as the Coordinator of Student Affairs, and became Assistant Principal of Pupil Personnel Services. After 18 years at Brooklyn Tech, she became Principal of New Dorp High School in Staten Island, where she initiated many rigorous academic and student life programs. In 1999, Ms. Sciabarra left New Dorp to work in the Superintendent's Office of Brooklyn and Staten Island High Schools, where she first served as the Special Assistant to the Superintendent for schools in need of improvement and those under registration review. She later became Deputy Superintendent and focused on curriculum, instruction, professional development of teachers and principals, the redesign of challenged high schools, and community engagement. Ms. Sciabarra also was the Deputy Superintendent of High Schools, and later the Superintendent of Selective High Schools. Most recently, Ms. Sciabarra was Chief Executive of the Office of New School Development.#
