D
r. Gennaro R. Piraino, Jr., Superintendent of the Franklin
Regional School District, was honored to be named the
2019 Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year by the
Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA). Dr.
Piraino, who is the 32nd Superintendent to receive this honor,
accepted his award at the Fred Rogers Center at St. Vincent
College in Latrobe in January before a packed ballroom.
Guests included Governor Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania Secretary
of Education Pedro Rivera, Pennsylvania Representatives
Bob Brooks and Eric Nelson, and Westmoreland County
Commissioners Charles Anderson and Ted Kopas.
The goal of the prestigious awards program is to further
inspire exemplary educational leadership and promote a
sense of confidence and pride in the nation’s public schools.
Superintendent of the Year nominees are evaluated on
how each candidate demonstrates leadership for learning,
communication skills, professionalism, and community
involvement.
“In my eyes, there is no more prestigious recognition than
Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year,” said Dr. Piraino to the
crowd of 145 that included business leaders, educators from
across the region and state, government officials, School Board,
union leadership and healthcare executives. “To be chosen by
my peers to represent Superintendents from across this great
Commonwealth is humbling beyond words.”
LEADERSHIP FOR LEARNING
Since 2013, Dr. Piraino demonstrated both effective
and collaborative leadership focused on raising student
achievement and expanding student opportunities. Under
his leadership, Franklin Regional (FR) has developed a college-
and-career-ready approach that extends learning opportunities
beyond the four walls of a classroom. For example:
n New courses in Engineering, Biomedical Science, and
Computer Science are offered for ALL students.
n College in High School partnerships saves FR families over
$1.1 million each year.
n A partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative
resulted in a 79 percent increase in the number of students
earning qualifying scores on Advanced Placement Exams.
n In addition, through an agreement with Discovery
Education, Digital Ambassadors collaborate with their
colleagues to integrate digital learning into classrooms.
These innovative teachers engaged in intensive
professional development on technology integration
and transformed their classrooms into digital learning
laboratories.
With his leadership, over the last five years, the district
demonstrated improvement in regional and state rankings.
n 9th among regional districts and 32nd out of 500 districts
statewide in the 2018 Pittsburgh Business Times Honor Roll
Ranking
n Franklin Regional High School earned its first “Silver Medal”
distinction in the 2018 US News & World Report’s ranking of
“Best High Schools in the Nation”
n The number of Franklin Regional students recognized as
National Merit® Finalists and Semifinalists increased
significantly over the past five years
n Students attending career and technical centers achieved
the highest results in school history on the National
Occupation, Career & Technical Exam (NOCTE)
The District’s Board of Directors and administrative team in their
nomination of Dr. Piraino for this award noted his commitment to
educational leadership in Franklin Regional and beyond.
The Board collectively stated, “Dr. Piraino leads the District
with a complete focus on students, a belief in collaboration
in all endeavors, and an unrelenting pursuit of continuous
improvement and excellence. He understands that leadership
is not about what one does independently, but rather about
how one engages others in lending their voices, talents,
perspectives, and efforts toward continuous improvement.”
“It is with great pride that I can say, I was not the sole
dynamic change agent who single-handedly made all of
Franklin Regional’s success possible,” said Dr. Piraino. “As a
District Leader, I understand that ‘I’ alone cannot accomplish
anything because success cannot occur in a vacuum. The
most important impetus for any major change is a staff that
believes in a shared vision. It is the people who serve our
students daily that make Franklin Regional’s centimeters grow
into kilometers.”
PROFESSIONALISM
Grounded and approachable, with a strong moral compass
to do what is right through hard work and effort, Dr. Piraino
exercises collaborative leadership intent on improving
opportunities and achievement for students, empowering
others to contribute in meaningful ways, and daring both
himself and others to “dream big.”
“I have been fortunate to have the steadfast support of my
entire Board of School Directors,” said Dr. Piraino. “They have
all been tremendous advocates for providing our students
with world-class academic, artistic, and athletic experiences.
The FR School Board’s ability to recognize the long-term
needs of our school system and their willingness to respond
and make a difference in the lives of children makes them
statesmen in a world full of politicians.”
Dr. Piraino has demonstrated a commitment to professional
leadership through service on both the PASA Technology
and Research & Development committees, as a member of
the board of the Tri-State Study Council of the University of
Pittsburgh and as a member of the Western Pennsylvania
Forum for Superintendents. Dr. Piraino encourages a
professional attitude marked by being positive, being
open, being committed, being patient, being present, and
being supportive. Throughout his career, Dr. Piraino has
demonstrated notable success as a K-12 leader in curriculum,
instruction, assessment, technology integration, college and
continued on next page
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (right) and Secretary of Education
Pedro Rivera (left) are shown with Dr. Piraino at the luncheon where
both leaders praised Dr. Piraino’s accomplishments and leadership.
MURRYSVILLE
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SPRING 2019
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