Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Supervisor of Instructional Support Services and Mentoring Sarah Trunfio recently received the 2022 Leadership and Support Award from the School Administrators Association of New York State.
Trunfio and other SAANYS 2022 award winners were recognized at SAANYS’s annual awards celebration on Friday, May 6, at the Crowne Plaza Albany - Desmond Hotel.
The SAANYS Leadership and Support Award was established to recognize the outstanding leadership efforts of those members whose responsibilities require leadership through support services to educators and students across and between school buildings and districts.
Trunfio has been instrumental in impacting teacher retention, student literacy rates, and helping staff build better relationships with students while addressing social, emotional and mental health. She created a BOCES-specific mentoring induction model, developed from research and best practices in mentoring, that has had a positive impact on teacher retention. The three-year induction model places an emphasis on teaching best practices and social and emotional learning wellness.
Trunfio is also facilitating a culture and climate K-12 districtwide initiative developed from needs-based planning sessions with district leadership. Staff and leadership, including the district’s superintendent, are involved in this initiative. The professional development content is grounded in the work of Brené Brown and her book “Daring Leadership.”
“The Science of Reading” is another of Trunfio’s significant initiatives. The program involves training on foundations and research behind teaching students to read. Her team is also working with the alternative high school to discover the root causes of reading barriers and to implement a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) model to resolve them.
“Sarah is a wealth of knowledge on so many topics pertinent to educational leadership, student learning, the art and science of teaching and social-emotional learning,” said Richfield Springs Central School District Director of Special Education, Rene M. Wilson, Ph.D. “She always shows up as a student, teacher or leader as her authentic self. She creates safe learning spaces where I can actually attach to the joy and struggle and messiness of growth because she is always professional, always kind, always empathetic and brilliant.”
Wilson also discussed how the school improvement plan at Richfield Springs was impacted by Trunfio.
“My school improvement plan has her mark all over it, and she is a steady presence in my building monthly, if not more,” Wilson said. “We engage in exploratory dialogue, and she is a resource I always turn to, and if she doesn't have the answer, she researches and helps with solution-focused planning.”
Trunfio has been with Herkimer BOCES for nine years and has worked as a special education teacher as well as a mentoring coordinator there. She received her School Building Leader (SBL) and School District Leader (SDL) certifications from Massachusetts College, her master’s degree from SUNY Cortland and her bachelor’s degree from Illinois College.
SAANYS represents nearly 8,000 school administrators, supervisors and coordinators. As a professional association, SAANYS is committed to providing direction, service and support to the membership in their efforts to improve the quality of education and leadership in New York state schools. SAANYS is affiliated with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Supervisor of Instructional Support Services and Mentoring Sarah Trunfio speaks during the School Administrators Association of New York State awards ceremony on Friday, May 6, at the Crowne Plaza Albany - Desmond Hotel, where she received the 2022 Leadership and Support Award.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Supervisor of Instructional Support Services and Mentoring Sarah Trunfio recently received the 2022 Leadership and Support Award from the School Administrators Association of New York State.