Mineola Public Schools has appointed Daniel Gigliobianco as the supervisor of Special Education, who will officially come into the role July 1.
Gigliobianco will be succeeding Kate Bulfin Rella, who left the position to work closer to home, according to a press release.
The Board of Education approved Gigliobianco’s appointment during its May 19 meeting. The new supervisor will be entering the role after spending a decade in special education administration.
He said the transition from his former position to Mineola will allow him to work with a smaller community and work closer with families.
“I’ve seen how communities could make or break a special education program,” Gigliobianco said. “I know the Mineola community has a great school district, so I’m really looking forward to having a more intimate relationship with families and with staff.”
Prior to his role at Mineola, he worked atHalf Hollow Hills School Districtin Dix Hills, which serves approximately 1,700 students with IEPs. There, he was a leader of academic excellence and served as the coordinator of Preschool Special Education and Related Services, as well as director of High School Special Education.
Mineola has a smaller number of students with IEPs, Gigliobianco said, and said the number was approximately 450 across grades K-12, while students in preschool special education is about 100.
“One of the things I find so important in special education is really coaching families and helping families one-on-one and having that open and honest relationship,” Gigliobianco said. “Also really working with families on how to best serve their children.”
One of his goals, Gigliobianco said, is improving and perfecting teachers’ pedagogy.
“I’m a firm believer that you don’t have to be bad to get better,” Gigliobianco said. “You can still always look at a great program, and you can always hone in and really work to perfect it.”
Source: LI Press
