By Hannah Curran, Editor
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City Schools (TCS) BOE named Dr. Frank Costanzo, former superintendent of Tuscaloosa County Schools, as acting superintendent of TCS earlier this month.
The role of the acting superintendent is different from the interim superintendent. Interim is related to position vacancy, and Costanzo explained there is not a position vacancy in the City of Trussville right now. The appointment of an acting superintendent will be effective until the role of the superintendent has been filled permanently.
“The superintendency, like anything else, really, in the principalship, is about a fit,” Costanzo said. “They had to decide, is Frank the right person? Is this the person that we want? And if they do, then we’ll move forward. So it’s just typical things that you do in conversations.”
Costanzo will fill the role after Dr. Pattie Neill took a 60-day leave following parents packing a City Council meeting a couple of weeks ago. At the meeting, which granted leave to Neill, the BOE also heard citizens expressing concerns about the school system.
As acting superintendent, Costanzo brings with him years of experience; he was a teacher, coach, school bus driver, assistant principal, principal, and central office director. He also was in student services for five years and assistant superintendent for 10 years. Costanzo was named superintendent of the Tuscaloosa County Schools in November 0f 2004.
“I served in that role for eight years and two months; most of my career was in Tuscaloosa County,” Costanzo said. “I am from the Birmingham area, I lived in Ensley when I was a child, and my parents moved from Ensley to Cahaba Heights. From there, I went to John Carroll High School.”
He describes himself as a servant leader first and foremost.
“I’m a people person,” Costanzo said. “I believe in working together as a team, a team approach ‘it’s not about I; it’s about we.’ I believe in listening to people; there’s a right way to make a decision, there’s a wrong way to make a decision, and you don’t solve a problem by creating a problem. You have experts here.”
Costanzo called the Trussville school system “elite” during the Oct. 10 board meeting, stating his role was to move the system forward and help the board make decisions in the best interest of the school system.
During an interview with The Tribune, he explained that the board of education is strong and that there is “outstanding leadership in this office.”
“The same is true at the principal’s level, as well, and then, most importantly, your teachers,” Costanzo said. “We met with the central office staff to give them that opportunity, one to meet me, but also to hear their concerns and whatever issues they have, and I want them to feel free and comfortable to do that. There’s got to be open communication because the jobs we do are very difficult. That’s the style of leadership.”
Costanzo said he is a policy-driven person and doesn’t believe in “stepping out and making decisions” based on opinions.
“I want to hear from people; I want people to tell me, how do you feel about this,” Costanzo said. “Trust your staff, trust your people to do their jobs, and we don’t micromanage what they do. So that’s the way I’ve always been, in support, and with the board, I want to help them to do the job that they’re doing.”
During the most recent BOE meeting, Costanzo expressed his support for families with children and family members with disabilities. His brother-in-law had cerebral palsy and passed away at 52-year-old, and his family provided everything for him.
“I’m very sensitive and very understanding to any child that has any disability regardless because it’s our role; they rely on us as parents and as a school system,” Costanzo said during the BOE meeting last week.
He understands the challenges that come with disabilities, and he believes every child has a right to free and appropriate public education.
“You’re a public school system, and every child that shows up at our front door, we take them in, regardless of who they are,” Costanzo said. “Our job is to help them grow and be successful, so we take them where they’re at, and that’s our job as educators to help them be successful. So how do you do that? You teach.”
Costanzo explained that students learn in different ways.
“Some are visual learners, and we are in the age of technology; we have all these different things, and they can listen, they can process,” Costanzo said. “It’s no different if you’re in the regular classroom or receiving special education services. They’re our students, so we’re going to do what we have to do in their best interest and help them be successful. To me, there’s no difference. It’s just the way a student qualifies for the type of learning that they have.”