LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Dr. Geoffrey N. Gordon upon the occasion
of his retirement after 10 years of distinguished service as Superinten-
dent of Schools in Port Washington, Long Island

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 in 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 Dr.
Geoffrey N. Gordon upon the occasion of his retirement after 10 years of
distinguished service as Superintendent of Schools in Port Washington,
Long Island; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Geoffrey Gordon received his Bachelor of Arts degree from
the University of Virginia and his Master's and Doctorate from Rutgers
University; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Geoffrey Gordon has
worked in teaching, guidance, administration and curriculum at the
elementary, middle, high school, and collegiate levels; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Geoffrey Gordon served as Superintendent of Schools in
New Providence, New Jersey from 1994-2002; under his leadership, New
Providence High School students in the 1995-1996 New Jersey High School
Proficiency Tests soared to second highest of 309 New Jersey High
Schools, while per pupil costs declined significantly; and
WHEREAS, In the last two school years during his Superintendency in
New Providence, under Dr. Gordon's leadership New Providence became the
only public or private secondary school in New Jersey to be ranked in
the "top ten" in academics and athletic prowess, scholar/athletes, and
sportsmanship; and
WHEREAS, In 2002, Dr. Geoffrey Gordon was recruited to become Super-
intendent of Schools in Port Washington, Long Island; and
WHEREAS, Within two years, Port Washington soared to the top 10 of
more than 21,000 comprehensive high schools in the United States for
selective college admissions as ranked by the WALL STREET JOURNAL on
April 2, 2004; and
WHEREAS, Moreover, Schreiber High School students achieved national
ranking, finishing in the top five schools in the country in the Intel
Scholar Competition during Dr. Geoffrey Gordon's nine years in Port
Washington; and
WHEREAS, On a comprehensive basis, two-year and four-year college
attendance also soared to 98%, placing the diverse senior class among
the highest in Long Island; and
WHEREAS, Also, the new Gifted and Talented curriculum initiated by Dr.
Geoffrey Gordon and the teaching staff achieved more than 80% minority
inclusion at the third and fourth grade levels; and
WHEREAS, With a significant minority population of students, under Dr.
Geoffrey Gordon's leadership, Port Washington students at every eligible
school soared to their highest scores ever, and were cited by New York
State as one of only 28% of eligible state schools commended for "clos-
ing the achievement gap" on behalf of minority students; and
WHEREAS, For the noted student achievements during his time as Super-
intendent of the Port Washington School District, in February, 2009, THE
NEW YORK TIMES ran a front page article nationwide featuring Port Wash-

ington under the headline "Powerhouse District Reaches Out to More Than
Just the Elite"; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Geoffrey Gordon is a lifelong environmentalist who has
been involved with and is a member of the Sierra Club, Clean Oceans, and
Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington; and
WHEREAS, Most recently, through a partnership with Residents for a
More Beautiful Port Washington and the Town of North Hempstead, Port
Washington became a pilot school district in environmental recycling;
and
WHEREAS, Working with Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington,
Dr. Geoffrey Gordon helped to establish new environmental curriculums
for all students at every level of education in the district; and
WHEREAS, This culminated with a new Advanced Placement Environmental
Science course initiated in 2003, which has expanded to an enrollment of
50 students annually since its inception; and
WHEREAS, In 2007, partnering with Grassroots, the Port Washington
Board of Education became the first school district in New York State to
adopt an anti-idling policy for all vehicles; and
WHEREAS, The combination of environmental, curriculum, partnerships,
green cleaning district-wide and policy have placed Port Washington as
the leader in environmental education and practices throughout New York
State; and
WHEREAS, In May of 2009, Dr. Geoffrey Gordon was selected by Residents
for a More Beautiful Port Washington as Honoree of the Year for his
outstanding contributions to the environment; and
WHEREAS, Moreover, in 2009-2010, Dr. Geoffrey Gordon was recognized as
one of three K-12 educators in the United States by Vanderbilt Universi-
ty for "Lifelong Contributions to Education," by the Korean Parents
Association as one of three honorees for their "Outstanding Long Island
Educator" award, and by the Community Action Council for the "Contrib-
utions to At-Risk Students" award; and
WHEREAS, In 2011, Dr. Geoffrey Gordon was also presented with the
Preservers' "Award of Distinction" for leadership by the Friends of the
Sands Point Preserve, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, Educators like Dr. Geoffrey N. Gordon 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, 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 Dr. Geoffrey N. Gordon upon the occasion of his retirement after
10 years of distinguished service as Superintendent of Schools in Port
Washington, Long Island, and for his significant contributions to educa-
tion 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 Dr. Geoffrey N. Gordon.