Stephen Duch

Cahn Fellow 2005

Principal, Hillcrest High School, HS 505

Queens, New York

Stephen Duch was a member of the third Cahn Fellows cohort in 2005 as Principal of Hillcrest High School, HS 505 in Queens, NY.

Stephen is a product of and veteran of the New York City Public School System where he worked as a teacher; dean; assistant principal and principal for over 36 years. Stephen earned a BA; MS and PD in School Administration and Supervision from Queens College. During his 18 years as principal of Hillcrest High School, it was recognized as a New York State Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and was awarded as a Bill and Melinda Gates Small Learning Community Demonstration Site (one of only two schools nationwide). Stephen has presented at multiple national conferences on topics relating to Whole School Reform; Small Learning Communities; Career and Technical Education; Adult Learning; Effective Utilization of Data; Preparing for and Avoiding a Crisis; Creating Meaningful Professional Development and Creating Rigorous Curriculum. He has participated in podcasts on topics that include Common Core Standards and Sustaining the Momentum. He has appeared in educational articles in the New York Times relating to the Common Core Standards; Education Week relating to Distributive Leadership; TC Today on Learning by Community and the Carnegie Reporter on transformation of large high schools into semi-autonomous Small Learning Communities. Since retirement from the NYCDOE Stephen has served as consultant for the Executive Leadership Institute. He has been assigned to build capacity of new assistant principals and principals. He has created and conducted professional development workshops on topics as varied as Bullying/Cyberbullying; Creating LGBTQ+ Inclusive Schools; Dignity for All; School Law; Building Effective Teams; Difficult Conversations; Danielson Coaching Techniques; Understanding by Design; Understanding the MPPR and other topics related to areas the directly impact leadership and teaching and learning.