Change has come again to George Washington Elementary School in the Kingston City School District, with the board of education last week appointing Dr. Laura Sagan to serve as interim principal.
Sagan’s interim tenure began on Monday, October 27, and was announced to the G.W. community in a letter from district officials. She’s a retired administrator with decades of experience in education, and previously served as a social studies teacher for 16 years, an assistant principal at the elementary and secondary levels, a middle school principal, a grades K-12 academic administrator and chief of education at the Center for Discovery, a special education school in Sullivan County.
“I know the start of this school year has brought change and some uncertainty. As we move forward, I want you to know that I lead with honesty, kindness and a strong focus on what is best for students — academically, socially and emotionally,” said Sagan in the community letter. “I have over 35 years of experience in education, and I believe schools should be joyful places where every child feels seen, supported and encouraged to do their best.”
In the letter, district superintendent Paul Padalino said Sagan will provide stability in her interim role.
“Her deep knowledge of our district and her proven leadership will support a smooth and steady transition for students, staff and families,” Padalino said.
Personnel matters are often opaque in school districts, so it’s unsurprising that KCSD officials aren’t talking about the need for an interim principal. Likewise, public comment sessions at meetings of boards of education can also be unspecific, particularly regarding specific members of staff, with speakers asked to discuss their issues without naming names.
Which is why it’s no surprise that publicly, there has been no clarity of the status of G.W. principal Wanda LoBianco, who has been absent from the school for around a month. As of press time, LoBianco is still listed as principal on the school’s website, and even with Padalino mentioning transition in the community letter, there has been no official announcement of LoBianco’s departure.
But even with the ambiguity rule in place, parents have long come before the board of education to discuss issues at George Washington, with some pointing their fingers at the top of the pyramid. At a school board meeting held on Wednesday, October 8, KHS parent Dylan Paul discussed a “toxic environment” at an elementary school in the district.
“I have friends who have discussed a culture of intimidation, punishment, especially when they voice concerns or ask questions,” he said. “Some faculty members have left. Some have talked about wanting to leave. As an educator myself, I know how much power a school leader has to shape the school culture, and when a school leader cultivates an environment of fear or silences the voices of faculty and parents, it has a direct impact on students’ sense of safety, their well-being and belonging. And it has a direct impact on learning.”
Alana Berger’s daughters were students at George Washington, and on October 8 she opened by speaking about her excitement about things in the district, but shared how upset she was by “what I’ve also seen at G.W.”
“I was a parent there for nine years,” she said. “I was the co-chair of the PTO for many years and I’ve known things have been bad for a while…I want to be clear that parents, teachers, staff, and many others were raising the alarm for, like, five years.”
A personnel issue was discussed and settled during the October 8 meeting, and though parents believe it was related to LoBianco’s departure, district officials would not officially confirm that.
At the October 22 meeting, Mariel Fiori thanked trustees for approving an interim principal at George Washington, and asked for a candid process as the district seeks to fill the position permanently.
“We want to make sure that there is a formal post once there is a search for a principal for George Washington,” she said. “Statewide, to give other candidates an opportunity to make George Washington as great that it used to be, rather than demand that someone local be assigned to the position. So I hope that you will continue in that path to do a national search for the next principal.”
She added that some clarity on the departure of LoBianco would be welcome.
“Is she going to retire, resign? I know you cannot mention it, but we are very curious about what’s going on,” Fiori said.
George Washington families were given the opportunity to welcome Interim Principal Sagan to the school with a “donuts and dialogue” gathering on Wednesday, October 29.
Until the start of the 2025-26 school year, George Washington operated under the Montessori method. In June, trustees voted 8-1 to end the program, in favor of adopting the Core Knowledge Language Art (CKLA) districtwide. CKLA aims to boost reading and writing skills by weaving literacy instruction into lessons from other subjects — like math, history, science and the arts — so that students encounter vocabulary and other concepts in more meaningful, connected ways. Supporters of Montessori at G.W. said the rigidity of CKLA directly contradicted the more free-flowing, student-directed program they felt was a success with students in the school.
George Washington’s Montessori program was phased in beginning with the 2008-09 school year, serving 20 students aged 3-5 before eventually encompassing the entire school. But over the years, said the program sometimes struggled with balancing a Montessori environment with the linear framework of public schools in the state, metrics by which all schools in the district — including George Washington — are judged.
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