Margaret Finnerty (second from l.) recently accepted an award recognizing her nearly 25 years of service to District 27. She plans on retiring at the end of the month.
Photo Courtesy Of Margaret Finnerty
Margaret Finnerty may be retiring at the end of the month, but she’s not going anywhere.
The stalwart civic leader, married mother of two and grandmother of three has decided to hang up one of the myriad hats she dons every day, stepping down from her position as parent coordinator for District 27 after nearly 12 years. While she’s moving on from her city Department of Education gig, Finnerty made it clear that she has no plans to walk away from her post as president of the Richmond Hill South Civic Association.
“I’m taking it one step at a time,” Finnerty said on Tuesday night, prior to accepting awards and proclamations at the Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic meeting at St. Helen Church. “I’m not making any plans moving forward now.”
Finnerty characterized her retirement from the DOE as “really bittersweet,” adding that “it was emotional, because my job was to work with parents and students.” Last week, Finnerty’s colleagues honored her with a plaque recognizing her years of service to 50 schools in District 27.
“I don’t think I did anything to deserve an award,” said Finnerty, a Richmond Hill native whose career in the district began more than 30 years ago when she became a parent volunteer. “But I appreciate being recognized.”
Asked about important moments during her tenure as parent coordinator, Finnerty related a story about a 16-year-old student who approached her with a unique dilemma: Disillusioned and discouraged, he had dropped out of school in the 7th grade and left the country; but now, at 16, he wanted to come back.
“To me, it was very touching…to hear a student tell me that,” Finnerty said. “We were able to get him in a program.”
Finnerty went on to say that the boy’s mother was so happy that Finnerty was able to get him back on track in school.
“If my position [didn’t exist] he would not have known where to go or what to do,” she noted.
Finnerty said that her replacement has not yet been chosen. But above all the other qualifications—education, experience, recommendations—she said that the next person to don the hat of parent coordinator of District 27 needs to retain one crucial, unteachable quality.
“I’m a product of District 27,” said Finnerty, who lives in South Ozone Park. “I really hope that they’re going to find a person who has the same love for this job.”
By Michael V. Cusenza
