The Commack School District Board of Education has selected Dr. Jordan Cox as its new Superintendent of Schools, effective July 1, 2022. Dr. Cox brings more than 20 years of experience in public education to the role, and has worked as the District’s Executive Director of Instructional Services since joining Commack Schools in 2018. Chief among Dr. Cox’s goals as Superintendent of Schools is continuing the evolution of systems designed to best prepare students for life after graduation. “My father once told me that as a child you have every door in the world open to you,” he said. “You can be anything you want, as you have a whole life ahead of you. My goal is to expose our students to as many open doors as possible while creating new ones and preparing them for life after high school. It’s about giving our students as many real-life experiences as possible.”
“While we had many great candidates apply for the Superintendent of Schools position, it became clear as we went through the interview process with our finalists that Dr. Cox would bring with him an intimate knowledge of our District and that he possesses all of the leadership skills and educational expertise required for the continual success of our District,” said Steven Hartman, President of the Commack School Board. “The Board and I are fully confident that Dr. Cox will continue to put our students first and further the success our District has seen in producing graduates that flourish.”
Most recently, Dr. Cox spearheaded an effort to have Commack become the first district on Long Island to offer the International Baccalaureate® Career-related Programme (IBCP). This revolutionary initiative is designed for students in grades 11 and 12 and will allow Commack students to pursue a certificate in business administration or STEM before they head off to college.
“This is just one part of my vision for our students,” Dr. Cox said. “Our educational continuum is built around project-based learning, and it starts at the very start of a student’s education. Our students engage in authentic, hands-on experiences both in and out of the classroom throughout their 13 years with us, and our goal is to have them take what they’re learning and connect it with a purpose that suits them.”
Dr. Cox got his start in education as a teacher for the Harborfields Central School District. There, he went on to become an administrator, eventually serving as the district’s executive director for instructional services. Dr. Cox has extensive experience overseeing K-12 curriculum, district-wide professional development, fiscally responsible budget practices, staff evaluation, technology, ENL, state reporting, UPK, guidance, assessments, and the student information system.
“As a teacher, there’s nothing more rewarding than when you’re able to put something into a language a student can comprehend, and watching their eyes light up in understanding,” Dr. Cox said. “Having that impact on students is such an incredible feeling, and working as an administrator you can have that same kind of impact on whole school buildings. The students are always at the center of every decision I make.”
Dr. Cox said the continued success of the Commack School District has been due to the efforts of the Board, community and all levels of staff. “We’re all interdependent; without one another, none of it would be possible.”