The School Administrator Association of New York State (SAANYS) and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) has selected Matthew Younghans, principal at Little Tor Elementary School in the Clarkstown Central School District, as the 2023 New York State Elementary Principal of the Year. We have worked with the Clarkstown Central School District for seven years, and have come to know Principal Younghans for his commitment to his staff and students, his dedication to innovation, and his foresight in elementary education. It has been a pleasure to work with him and the entire Little Tor community over the years and we applaud the SAANYS and the NAESP for recognizing the contributions of this dedicated leader.
Click here to read more about the award.
Curious to learn more about the leadership at Little Tor Elementary? Keep scrolling for a Q&A with Matthew Younghans.
Tell us a little bit about your background.
I grew up in Pearl River and Nanuet, New York but always attended the Nanuet Union Free School District. I have a special place in my heart for Nanuet as it is a small, tight knit community with incredible teachers and coaches.
I come from a large extended family, and have almost 40 first cousins. When it came time to go to college, I knew I wanted to choose a track that kept me involved with working with kids, so I chose Elementary Education as a major.
This is my 7th year at Little Tor Elementary school, and my 15th year in the Clarkstown School District. I began my career as a Grade 4 Classroom Teacher in the Bronx at P.S. 16.
What is your favorite thing about Clarkstown Central School District, and specifically, about Little Tor Elementary?
My favorite thing about the District is that we are able to provide many different programs and pathways for our students, and they take full advantage. My favorite thing about Little Tor is that we are a true neighborhood school. This allows us as a staff and as a Principal to get to know our students and families very deeply, and that translates into being able to create a positive, productive, caring learning environment for our students. It is a special place!
What are your favorite things about being a principal, and what do you miss about being a teacher?
My favorite thing about being a Principal is getting to know EVERY student in our school. Knowing their skills, interests, and personalities allows me to work with our staff to the best of my ability. I also appreciate how the decisions I make on a whole skill level influence and affect every student, something I do not take lightly. At times, I miss being a teacher to witness student growth, the "aha" moments, and to build a classroom community I can be proud of. This was always my favorite part of being in the classroom.
What are your biggest passions for elementary education?
My biggest passion for elementary education is educating the whole child. At Little Tor, I stress that we are focused on helping to create good people, just as much as we are focused on academic skills and growth. In addition, my passion is to provide the tools and opportunities for our students to build and cultivate their 21st century skills. This will help our students and our world tremendously, and has become part of the fabric of the experience at our school to the greatest extent possible.
What are you proudest to have accomplished while at Little Tor?
One of the things I am most proud of at Little Tor is the culture and environment I believe we create for our kids. Our staff works tirelessly to build relationships with their students, creating a sense of security, trust, and caring, which is the ideal environment for student learning. I am also very proud of our Innovation Lab, which is a STEAM Lab we worked with our parents and community to implement some years back. It is a welcoming place for students to visit to learn by exploring, trying, and doing, and we are constantly thinking about the tools we can procure and ways to get students more frequent opportunities to practice their skills.
Tell us something about yourself that your students don’t know–any hobbies, outside interests?
Something my students may not know is that I was a decent athlete when I was younger and played sports through high school and was a college athlete. Nowadays, I like to play golf and spend time outside with my children as they grow and begin their athletic careers.
What do you like best about working with TCRWP?
What I like best about working with TCRWP is the level of support we receive as a partnership. Working with staff developers with our teaching staff, working as a Principal group with a staff developer, and attending calendar days and summer institutes have all been valuable experiences for me in terms of trying to understand how best to educate our students. My first year as Principal, we went "all in" with TCRWP and I have professionally enjoyed seeing the progression and growth of our teachers and students throughout the last seven years.