Santaniello to head Mountain View School

Date: 6/28/2010

June 28, 2010.

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW -- The changes in the East Longmeadow school system continued with the recent appointment of new principal Elaine Santaniello at the Mountain View Elementary School.

"I'm very happy to have this opportunity," Santaniello said. "I've been a principal in the past and I really wanted to get back to working with kids,"

Santaniello fills the seat vacated by Carolyn Wallace, who resigned from the position earlier this year.

Santaniello leaves behind her temporary position as co-interim superintendent, a title that she and Theresa Olejarz shared after the departure of Edward Costa III in December, 2009 after 11 years in the position.

Before filling in for Costa, Santaniello was the director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for the East Longmeadow School Department, a job she accepted in 2006.

"It's been a very difficult year in terms of doing our regular jobs and filling in that role. It was very time consuming," Santiniello said. "The rest of it was pretty smooth in terms of the two of us working together. Any issues that came up we talked about and made it as much of a smooth transition as possible."

Former Ludlow High School principal Gordon Smith was selected by the School Committee in April to take over as Superintendent. The committee also approved the contract for Olejarz as the assistant superintendent for business in May, according to School Committee minutes.

Santaniello is no stranger to shifts and changes within a school system. Prior to taking the position in her hometown, Santaniello was the Quaboag Regional School District's director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, starting in 2004.

That remained her position until 2006 when she took over as the acting principal of the Quaboag Regional Middle and High School after former principal C. Stephen Collins was fired after an investigation into his changing of a grade for a family friend who was a senior at the school.

Working in an administrative capacity helped Santaniello realize that she wanted to get back to the hands-on side of education,

"I think it reinforced the fact that I like to be with kids," Santaniello said. "That's why I got into education. It wasn't the political, legal side. It was working with kids that I really enjoy."

So when the position opened up at Mountain View, it presented an ideal opportunity for Santaniello, who is a licensed administrator for elementary and high school, in many respects.

"I taught fourth grade for nine years, so I am very comfortable with that grade level," Santaniello said. "It's a great age because the kids aren't babies, but they still look to adults as people they like to be around.

"The school is just the right size and it will give me the opportunity to spend some time in the classrooms and observe the learning, which is what I really like to do."

Santaniello said she is looking forward to working with and getting to know the staff, something she admits she didn't have much of a chance to do while acting as an administratior.

"I have heard nothing but great things about all the teachers there," Santaniello said. "The teaching staff is very dedicated, very professional and fun to work with from everything I have heard and that's very important."