ALBANY, NY (04/16/2012)(readMedia)-- Anthony (Tony) Cardamone, principal of the Harry E. Elden Elementary School in the Baldwinsville Central School District, has been selected as the 2012 New York State Elementary School Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS). This award is given annually to a member of SAANYS and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) who has set the pace, character, and quality of education for the children in his or her school. Nominees are administrators who are committed to students, parents, and the community and have shown exceptional contributions to the educational process.
Cardamone has served as an educator with Baldwinsville for 19 years and has been an elementary-level administrator in his current position for six years. Harry E. Elden Elementary is a K-5 suburban school with an enrollment of over 400 students. Cardamone previously served as an elementary teacher in Baldwinsville, a Reading First coordinator at Altmar-Parish-Williamstown Schools, and has been an adjunct professor at SUNY Oswego since 2001.
As evidenced by the many letters of support he received, Cardamone is admired and respected in his school, his district, and in the community. In a letter of support for Cardamone's nomination, Jeanne Dangle, Baldwinsville Central School District superintendent, states, "At the core of his skills is a fundamental understanding of how thorough detail, training, and effective communication allows him to lead people and create systems that are driven by his core value: all students are entitled to highly effective teachers to receive a quality education. As a result, he has been sought out to develop, train, and provide support for many initiatives implemented in our district . . . ."
Cardamone is an active member of SAANYS, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, ASCD, and the International Reading Association. In addition, he is a past board member and founder of Paige's Butterfly Run which supports children's cancer research.
Cardamone will be honored for his accomplishments at an awards ceremony on May 4, 2012 at the Century House in Latham, New York. As New York's Elementary School Principal of the Year, Cardamone will be celebrated as a National Distinguished Principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals at a recognition program sponsored by NAESP and VALIC this fall in Washington, DC.
SAANYS represents nearly 7,200 school administrators, supervisors, and coordinators. As a professional association, SAANYS is committed to providing direction, service, and support to the membership in their efforts to improve the quality of education and leadership in New York State schools. SAANYS is affiliated with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).