LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Edward J. Zero upon the occasion of his
retirement as District Superintendent for Eastern Suffolk BOCES after
many years of distinguished service

WHEREAS, New York State's commitment to education is unparalleled; its
history and stature are secured by the superlative caliber of its educa-
tional professionals and the students they inspire; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to acknowledge the
significant milestones in the distinguished careers of those outstanding
educational leaders, whose dedication and achievements have been instru-
mental in developing character and academic excellence to the young
people of New York State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Edward J. Zero upon the occasion of his retirement as District Super-
intendent for Eastern Suffolk BOCES after many years of distinguished
service to be celebrated on Tuesday, June 8, 2010, at Bourne Mansion,
St. John's University, Oakdale, New York; and
WHEREAS, A man of singular distinction, Edward J. Zero has continually
demonstrated extreme competence, extraordinary intelligence and diligent
leadership throughout his 37 years of unwavering service to educating
the youth of New York State; and
WHEREAS, Edward J. Zero received his Bachelor of Arts in Biology with
a minor in Marine Sciences and Secondary Education from Long Island
University, Southampton College; he earned his Masters of Science in
Applied Science from Stony Brook University, College of Engineering,
Department of Technology and Society and was twice nominated for the
University's distinguished alumnus award; Edward J. Zero also attended
New York University, Department of Organizational and Administrative
Studies, where he obtained his School District Administrator's certif-
ication; and
WHEREAS, Edward J. Zero spent his early career developing and adminis-
tering the BOCES Outdoor/Environmental Education Program which provided
services to the region's teachers and students in conjunction with
SCOPE; the Program functions to this day and was designed to utilize the
natural environment in a multi-disciplinary approach to promote more
efficient and effective learning while supplementing, strengthening, and
giving new dimensions to the existing school curriculum by means of
direct observations and hands-on learning experiences outside the class-
room; and
WHEREAS, Under Edward J. Zero's leadership, the Program earned numer-
ous national and state awards, most notably the National Search for
Excellence in Science Education Award from the National Science Teachers
and Supervisors Associations; a highlight of this work was when he was
appointed to serve as the Chairman of the Governor's Environmental
Education Task Force, where his influence and leadership was extended
statewide; Ed was also the recipient of the New York State Outdoor
Education Associations' (NYSOEA) Leadership Award and the Harlan "Gold"
Metcalf Award for Outstanding Leadership on the state and national
levels; and
WHEREAS, Edward J. Zero also served on many state and national commit-
tees and advisory Boards including: Vice-President and Executive Commit-
tee Member of the New York State Outdoor Education Association; member
of the National Congress for Environmental Education; Future Policies
and Practices Committee; Vice-President and Program Chair of the Alli-
ance for Environmental Education; member of National Science Teachers

Association's Environmental Education Task Force; and Co-chair and
Founder of the Friends of Marion Caril Farm, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, Although Edward J. Zero remains passionate about environ-
mental issues and solutions through education, his energies, talents,
and attention were redirected in the late 90s to school improvement and
student achievement; while serving as the Regional Manager of the Effec-
tive Schools Consortium Network (ESCN) for the Metro Region and as the
Executive Director of the Long Island Regional Support Center (LIRSSC),
he built a reputation as a staunch supporter of school reform initi-
atives and innovative programs to address the needs of low-performing,
high-poverty school districts throughout the Hudson Valley and on Long
Island; and
WHEREAS, These initiatives focused professional and fiscal resources
to accomplish key objectives including: closing the gap in student
performance in identified low-performing schools and optimizing efforts
to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) and annual measurable objective
(AMO) as determined by the State Education Department; improving the
performance of identified school districts as measured by VESID's Key
Performance indicators; assisting schools in raising the achievement
outcomes of all students by making appropriate program choices and
selection of interventions; improving the coordination of services
between regular and special education in low-performing school
districts, and coordinating the services to low-performing schools of
the state-supported networks in the region; and
WHEREAS, For the last four years, Edward J. Zero has served as
District Superintendent/Executive Officer for Eastern Suffolk BOCES; in
addition to his responsibilities at ESBOCES, in September of 2008, he
was appointed as the interim District Superintendent of Western Suffolk
BOCES, a responsibility he has to this day; and
WHEREAS, As the District Superintendent for Eastern Suffolk BOCES,
Edward J. Zero is responsible for one of the largest BOCES in New York
State; serving 51 school districts across nearly 1,000 square miles,
Eastern Suffolk BOCES enrolls approximately 4,400 school aged pupils,
over 6,000 adult education students, and offers the most innovative and
diverse array of BOCES special education, career and technical educa-
tion, and literacy programs in New York State; in addition, he also has
statutory responsibilities as the regional representative of the Commis-
sioner of Education and the State Education Department; and
WHEREAS, This past fall, Edward J. Zero was selected by his colleague
District Superintendents to serve as a member of the District Super-
intendents' Planning Council and as Chair of the District Superinten-
dents' Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction Committee; the Curric-
ulum, Assessment, and Instruction Committee works with SED staff at the
senior management level to provide input and feedback on policy develop-
ment and serves as a conduit for the State Education Department to
communicate information to component school superintendents statewide;
and
WHEREAS, During his tenure as District Superintendent, Edward J. Zero
was the recipient of numerous proclamations and awards, including:
Educator of the Year - Phi Delta Kappa, Long Island Chapter; St John's
University, Leader in Education Award; and the Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. Commission Service Award - Suffolk County; most recently, the
University Council For Educational Administration (UCEA), an interna-
tional consortium of prestigious research universities committed to
advancing the preparation and practice of education leaders, announced
that the faculty and Dean of St. John's University presented Ed with the
UCEA Excellence in Educational Leadership award; and

WHEREAS, Educators like Edward J. Zero provide a tremendous service to
the future of our State and Nation, inspiring generations of young
people in their educational journeys and ensuring their success in their
future years; and
WHEREAS, Edward J. Zero has clearly had an enduring impact on the
youth of Suffolk County, as well as on the community-at-large, and
accordingly merits recognition and applause for his impressive dedi-
cation to others; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to commend the
efforts of those individuals who work to support our proud tradition of
public education by providing their skills and talents to our schools;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Edward J. Zero upon the occasion of his retirement as District
Superintendent for Eastern Suffolk BOCES, and for his significant
contributions to education in New York State; and to wish him continued
success in all of his future endeavors; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Edward J. Zero.