On August 1, 2023, Dr. Kenneth R. Bossert officially began his tenure as the twelfth Superintendent of the Great Neck Public Schools. First an elementary teacher, then elementary principal and Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Bossert has worked 13 years as a superintendent, Great Neck being his third district.
However, Dr. Bossert describes himself as a husband and father, first. He has two daughters, the older in graduate school for school psychology and the younger studying to become a math teacher; his wife is a school speech pathologist. His mother was also a teacher, who inspired him with her efforts to support her students. As Dr. Bossert puts it, “education is the family business.”
Although education plays a significant role in Dr. Bossert’s life, he neither enjoyed school nor connected with teachers until fourth grade. “My fourth grade teacher, Mr. Hunter, showed genuine care and concern for things that were important to me and helped me be successful in school,” Dr. Bossert describes. “That turned me around as a student. So, it’s not a coincidence that I started my career as an elementary teacher, because I wanted to help make the same difference for other students that he did for me.”
Influenced by his educational experiences, Dr. Bossert tries to remember that not everyone has the same motivations and goals. He believes it is important for teachers to adapt their methods to the needs of their students. As Superintendent, Dr. Bossert believes his primary job is to help teachers achieve this goal. “The message that I always give to teachers,” Dr. Bossert says, “is that we have an opportunity every day to make a tremendous impact on the lives of every student, and to not to take that for granted. ”Since he started working in Great Neck, Dr. Bossert has actively become acquainted with the district: meeting faculty, touring facilities, and familiarizing himself with the bus routes. “The best form of evaluation is observation,” Dr. Bossert explains. “People can talk to me about what’s happening in the classrooms. People can talk to me about how our arrival and dismissal procedures work in schools. But seeing it, being a part of it, and participating in it is far more reflective of how we’re doing.”
From his primary observations, Dr. Bossert asserts that Great Neck provides many opportunities to students, including abundant resources and talented educators. As Superintendent, he reconciles these merits with his future decisions: “The race for excellence has no finish line. My job as the educational leader of the district is to make sure that we are not focused on wow, we’re doing such a good job, there’s no need to change, but rather keep a mindset of there’s always room for improvement. There are always new areas for exploration, or new initiatives to be attentive to, so that we can become even Greater Neck moving forward.”
Dr. Bossert recognizes each school district is different. Because the Great Neck community prioritizes education, teachers and parents are partners in supporting students. Dr. Bossert emphasizes the importance of collaboration through a survey initiative on ThoughtExchange. “ThoughtExchange is a powerful tool that gives everyone a voice, students very much included,” Dr. Bossert explains. “I was very pleased at the level of response that we had at the first exchange—we had over 1000 participants. I want everyone to feel that their insight and passion will shape what we do as a district.”
Dr. Bossert noted that many stakeholders expressed a desire for greater consistency among schools. “When I was appointed superintendent of Great Neck,” Dr. Bossert recalls, “another superintendent who I’ve known for a very long time said, ‘Oh, you’re going to Great Neck? Which one—North or South?’ thinking that we are two different districts. We want people to see us as a unified district and community.”
Though his first weeks as Superintendent have been busy, Dr. Bossert enjoys his free time in a variety of ways. “In good weather, I love to play golf,” Dr. Bossert says. “It is a wonderful environment for turning off devices, connecting with nature, and focusing. Also, believe it or not, I am prone to binge-watching certain things on Netflix—I really like documentaries. Every now and then, something will come up that I’ll just blaze right through.
Dr. Bossert emphasizes that when students are overly focused on academic achievement, they can burn out quickly. He stresses the importance of finding time to decompress, unplug, and be present. He himself intends to focus more on work-life balance. “I think the pandemic created an opportunity for many folks to reflect, and it was the time for me to reaffirm the importance of family and downtime,” Dr. Bossert says. “It’s okay to be very focused and it’s okay to want to achieve at a high level, as long as you find the balance of enjoying some of the small moments of life.”
Dr. Bossert is dedicated to serving the district as a whole. “I am one person. This is a community, and hearing from the community and stakeholders helps me to make informed, targeted plans and appropriate decisions that reflect the priorities of the community. I’m very happy to be here in Great Neck, and I’m very proud to join the wonderful team of educators that work in our schools.”
