Stephanie Villanueva will now be serving as Maplewood Intermediate School’s new Assistant Principal. Originally, Villanueva wanted to be a broadcast journalist, working within communities and telling the stories that people care most about. She worked at News 12 in the Bronx for sometime, then shifted career gears toward education.
“I thought I could make the same kind of impact in education,” she said. She wanted to work with children and get to know her community better and so, Villanueva joined the New York City Teaching Fellows.
Along with her experience as a Fellow Advisor for the New York City Teaching Fellows, an initiate of the Homework Help Program, a Talent and Development Team Member, a New Teacher Mentor and an ELA/Social Studies Grade Team Coach, her most current experience has been at Oakwood Primary Center as a second grade special education teacher in an ICT classroom.
In the ICT program, a general education teacher and a special education teacher work alongside one another, integrating all of the students, providing support including assistance by paraprofessionals and teaching assistants. Villanueva shared the classroom with Ms. Chelsea Jones at Oakwood, and is sad to part ways with her as they have worked together for a long time. However, she is excited for her new administration opportunities.
“I want to be able to make a big impact in the level of rigor and the level of comfort in both students and staff,” she said. “I want to be able to be in the frontlines with them, on the trenches, getting down to all the important things that they’re going to need and just doing what I can to make sure that everybody feels welcome and successful.”
Since September of 2016, Villanueva has focused and improved on her ability to get to know a variety of different people in the district. This includes learning different teaching styles and working with a variety of staff which has prepared her for the Assistant Principal position.
Along with her in-school experiences, Villanueva has several hobbies, including spending time with her two daughters and going to the Bronx Zoo. She loves food, loves to dance salsa, loves to read and hang out with friends and family.
About Ms. Stephanie Villanueva
Ms. Stephanie Villanueva began her journey to education first with a Bachelors in Communications with a concentration in Broadcasting and Hispanic Studies from Boston College. She then received a Masters in Broadcast Journalism from Emerson College. Villanueva then received a Masters of Science in Education from the City College of New York, and an Advanced Certificate in Educational Leadership and Administration from the College of Saint Rose. She has received several certifications, including School Building Leader, Professional Extension, Bilingual Education Extension, Professional Certificate, Students with Disabilities (Grades 1-6) and Professional Certificate, Childhood Education (Grades 1-6).
During the Summer of 2011, Villanueva was a Fellow Advisor for the New York City Teaching Fellows. From October 2007 to June 2012, she was a teacher for the New York City Department of Education. From March 2013 to June 2015, she was a Talent and Development Team Member for the Harlem RBI and DREAM Charter School. From August 2012 to June 2015, she was a teacher for the DREAM Charter School. From September 2016 to present, Villanueva has worked in the South Huntington School District as a New Teacher Mentor, as an ELA/Social Studies Grade Team Coach and most recently as a Special Education teacher.