Project Description
Dr. Fritzy Sannon-Brown, Fellow
Queens Transition Center
Queens, NY
Dr. Fritzy Sannon-Brown began her journey at the NYC Department of Education over 25 years ago as a paraprofessional. She loved the inquisitive nature of the students and felt compelled to become a bilingual educator of color and a role model for all children. Dr. Sannon-Brown then continued her career as a general education teacher and eventually transitioned from this population to teaching students with disabilities, specifically those on the spectrum. Those experiences supported her urgency to work with teachers and students of color in a more global manner. This made her pursue a leadership position with the Department of Education where she became a high school assistant principal for incarcerated, adolescent women on Rikers Island. This unique environment made it necessary for Fritzy to further explore the educational disparities in literacy and special education. She is currently the principal of a high school for moderate to severe students in special education, including those with severe emotional disturbances. Fritzy’s philosophy is for her school community to focus on the students’ abilities, rather than their disabilities. Her school’s mantra “One School, One voice” expresses her vision for making all students feel a part of the school’s community regardless of their classification. Fritzy recently obtained her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and she intends to continue to support the field of practice and research for the benefit of public schools. Her distributive leadership style supports the continued growth of the school’s faculty, encouraging others to pursue leadership positions and make change happen.
Arlene Headley Bryce, Ally
Special Ed.Teacher/ Unit Coordinator
Queens Transition Center
Queens, NY
Arlene Headley Bryce has worked for over thirty years in the field of education. Her career began as an assistant preschool teacher at a private nursery school. Moving to work with older children she got a job at the Department of Education working as a school aide, continuing on to become paraprofessional. Ms. Headley Bryce was deeply inspired to transition from a paraprofessional to becoming a special education teacher due to her time working with autistic students, which still has a special place in her heart to this very day. This continued inspiration kept her driven to become a better teacher, continually learning how the field of education has changed and grown over time. She seeks to be on the cutting edge of the field of education. Through the caring way that she worked with students to help them learn, she mastered skills and was continually encouraged by her colleagues to seek positions of leadership and administration. Arlene is presently a unit coordinator working with teachers and staff to meet the special needs of students that have various learning disabilities. Through encouragement and support, she is able to help the teachers reach the students. This gives the students the opportunity to master the skills necessary to be successful in life. Holding all these different positions has allowed her to have a unique perspective on how all the parts of the school work together to make a cohesive organization. Arlene Headley Bryce is presently taking classes to obtain a Master’s in Educational Leadership.