The Massapequa School District will enter a new era Tuesday as Lucille Iconis is set to be sworn in as Superintendent.
Iconis brings more than 35 years experience to the job and is a well known face in Massapequa as she has been an administrator in the district for more than a decade.
Iconis took the time to talk to Patch in the days before she took over the job. It caps a career that began in the Franklin Square District
"I got my first teaching position when I was just shy of my 20th birthday," she said. "I finished undergraduate school, rather quickly."
Armed with a degree from Hofstra in History and Education. Iconis was assigned to a second grade class. "I taught every grade with the exception of third," she said of her elementary school experience in the district.
Iconis was also given an important role outside of teaching when the district asked her to coordinate its reading program. It was her first step towards becoming an administrator.
The next step came in 1999, when Massapequa came calling.
"I came to Massapequa in 1999, Mr. Sulc hired me," she said of the man she is replacing as superintendent.
She spent one year as an assistant before moving on to the top job at East Lake.
"It was probably one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire career, it had an absolutely wonderful faculty and community," Iconis said.
She points to her emphasis on literacy as one of her proudest achievements at the school.
"I remember walking into East Lake and the reading program was the primary level just reading to the children. That was troubling. There was very little practice of reading going on," Iconis said.
She said she took a collaborative approach with the school community to boost the program and is proud of the results.
She moved into the central office when she was asked to serve as an Assistant Superintendent in charge of curriculum by then superintendent Dr. Lawrence Periera, a job she resisted.
"I told him I don't want to become one of you, and I had great respect for him," Iconis said. "He you can this job what you want it to be."
Her duties expanded when she was asked to take on operation of the district's special education program.
Iconis pointed to the implementation of full day Kindergarten, school-wide enrichment and a balanced approach to literacy as well as the district's technology infused programs as her top achievements in the Central office.
But Iconis said she didn't know she was in line to be Superintendent until February.
Sulc called in all of the administrators and told them he planned to retire.
"After the meeting, I walked down to the end of the hall and my phone rang," she said.
It was Board President Maryanne Fisher, who offered her the job as Superintendent. Iconis turned around and went back in to see the man she was about to replace.
"Mr. Sulc was at his desk and said, 'I couldn't tell you Lucille. It had to Come from the Board."
Iconis said she was "in total shock" to find out the board had decided to pick her for the job. She says her top concerns are the current state of finances in New York as she hopes to maintain programs established by the districem as well as the Annual Professional Performance Review.
She says she's spent the last few months learning what she can from Sulc. But she says there will be differences as well .
Iconis said she will be" honest and straight forward" to the school community .
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