Dedication and commitment. Those are two words that spring to mind when one speaks with Colleen Frankel, new Assistant Principal of Sto-Rox Primary Center.
A native of the Gateway School District, she returned there to teach after her college years. She didn’t hop from district to district, though. She stayed for more than 10 years before moving to the Hampton Area School District, where she also spent more than a decade.
‘It’s a Pittsburgh thing,” she admitted.
It has been about one month since Frankel come on board in Sto-Rox. She hopes to utilize previous experiences in her schools - and their communities - to effect change.
“Being a positive part of change, coupled with community involvement in the schools and resources for the community…is appealing to me,” she explained. “I see the benefit between the partnership of school, parents and community resources, and what can happen for the kids when everybody works together.”
Frankel said she hopes to bring communication skills and creative problem-solving skills to her role. She also knows that bringing teachers, community members and families together is paramount.
“Looking at ways to help the students that are within our walls, but sometimes that help comes from outside of the walls as well. So partnering with after-school programming, resources for families and putting all those resources together to help students are skills I’ve developed over the years that will help me here.”
While this may be Frankel’s first administrative post, it’s clear she is committed to seizing the role. She is attaining her doctorate in Leadership and Administration from Point Park University. Her degrees include a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Penn State and a Master’s in Instruction and Learning from the University of Pittsburgh. Being a principal is a job she has always wanted to pursue.
“This is the perfect time in life to step into that role,” she explained. “I kind of took my time with it.”
A mother of three, her oldest child - Brendan - is going off to the University of Maryland. Her other two children, Taylor and Reed, are still in high school and grade school respectively. Her husband, Eric, is South Hills native.
It’s no empty nest, especially when you consider Frankel and her family foster animals. In addition to her two rescue dogs, they foster other dogs, cats, and other four-legged creatures.
“I have a rabbit living in my bathroom right now - a rabbit the size of a dog,” she laughed. “The family goal is reaching 2,000 hours in one year for animal fostering, and we’re only about 100 hours away.”
That’s one example of her dedication. But what else is important to Frankel?
“Immersing myself in my own community and trying to get my kids involved,” she said. “We’ve done a lot of things through school - like tutoring and helping with school supply donation programs.”
Frankel has goals in mind for Sto-Rox, both short-term and long-term. Currently, it’s all about learning about the faculty and staff, learning their strengths and utilizing them. That’s not just a short-term goal. Frankel plans to build relationships with teachers and administrations now and in the future to serve the children.
“It’s ultimately about student success and child well-being. So my goals become that goal.”
When it comes to communication with parents, Frankel wants them to know she is dedicated to their child - and them.
“I’m willing to work for them and their child,” she said. “I want them to come to me with ideas and concerns and build that partnership over time.”
It’s a commitment to teaching and understanding that, when coupled with her Western Pennsylvania roots, bode well for the future of Sto-Rox’s youngest learners.