An e-mail blast has just gone out to parents at Laning Avenue elementary school that Frank Albano, its long-time principal, will retire at the end of the 2012–2013 school year in June.
“It has been an absolute privilege to have been the principal of Laning Avenue School the past fourteen years,” Albano said in the announcement. “I look forward to working on behalf of your children right up to the last day of school this June.”
Albano is a Verona native who attended Verona public schools. He came back to Verona after college at Glassboro State and started teaching fifth grade at Forest Avenue School. He later moved to a sixth-grade slot at H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, and taught math, language arts, reading and social studies at HBW for 11 years.
In 1992, he became the assistant principal at HBW and worked in that position for four years. He left Verona in 1996 to spend four years as principal of the Carteret Elementary School in Bloomfield. Albano returned to Verona in 2000 to be principal of both Laning and Brookdale schools. He became principal of Laning alone in 2001.
Today’s e-mail blast does not say who will be in charge of Laning next year. There have been rumors of Albano’s departure and a consolidation among elementary school leadership in Verona for almost a year. Board of Education President John Quattrocchi declined to comment on those rumors today. State laws mandate a full-time supervisor in each school building, but that can be a principal or an assistant principal, or possibly a supervising teacher.
Photo copyright Cindy Kramer. Used by permission.
Best principal ever! He made that school a special place for our children to learn.
The best of luck to Mr. Albano in his retirement! I remember his many kindnesses, especially when he took time during his busy morning to help this frantic mother arrange a birthday surprise for her middle-schooler!
Frank Albano is one of the most dedicated educators that Verona has ever had. His passion for his job and enthusiasm for keeping the children safe and happy has been his legacy that will always be remembered. Mr. Albano will certainly be missed!
To quote Frank Albano in one word, “Fantastic”