LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Phil Cordella upon the occasion of his
retirement after 31 years as an educator and involved member of his
profession and his community

WHEREAS, It is the practice of this Legislative Body to take note of and
publicly acknowledge individuals of remarkable integrity and character
whose endeavors have enhanced the quality of education in this great
State; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Phil Cordella
upon the occasion of his retirement after 31 years as an educator and
involved member of his profession and his community; and
WHEREAS, Born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 5, 1955, the youngest of
the three sons of proud second generation Italian American immigrants,
Rose and Phil Cordella, Phil Cordella and his brothers Dennis and Rich-
ard were raised in the tight knit Brooklyn community of Dyker Heights;
and
WHEREAS, Phil Cordella was accepted into one of New York City's four
specialized high schools, Brooklyn Tech; originally enrolled in the
architectural program, he transferred to the College Prep course of
study and graduated in 1973 having had the opportunity to spend his last
half year of high school interning with a group of feminist activists at
the Day Care Consultation Service; and
WHEREAS, In 1973, Phil Cordella entered SUNY New Paltz, where, an
activist from his earliest days, he immediately organized a College
Student Union and learned and practiced the power of collective action;
and
WHEREAS, By 1977, Phil Cordella had completed the requirements for an
undergraduate degree with majors in Sociology and Political Science and
a minor in Women Studies, but still needed to complete the professional
educational coursework and student teaching to achieve his goal of
becoming a certified Social Studies teacher so he remained at New Paltz
for another semester and did his student teaching at Newburgh Free Acad-
emy and graduated; and
WHEREAS, After subbing in the Middletown school district, Phil Cordel-
la went on to earn a master's degree in Special Education from CUNY
Hunter College in New York City where he worked for two years; once
permanently certified in a new field, Special Education, he returned to
Newburgh and began his career as a Special Education Teacher in the
Newburgh Enlarged City School District in 1981 at South Junior High
School; and
WHEREAS, Phil Cordella was assigned to Room 100 with a class of self-
contained emotionally disturbed Junior High School students; soon he was
a Newburgh Teachers' Association (NTA) union delegate and was laying out
and designing "The Pendulum" and was representing its members at state
and national conferences, and he also became actively involved in VOTE-
COPE (Voice Of Teachers in Education-Committee On Political Education),
New York State United Teachers' (NYSUTs') nonpartisan political action
arm; and
WHEREAS, In 1989 he became an Attendance Teacher and served in that
capacity for 15 years until the 2004 -2005 school year, when he assumed
the position of President of the Newburgh Teachers' Association; and
WHEREAS, Phil Cordella has continually demonstrated an impressive
dedication, an unparalleled devotion and an unremitting enthusiasm for
the quality of the educational programs and opportunities offered at
South Junior High School and throughout the Newburgh Enlarged City
School District; and

WHEREAS, In completing his career as an educator, Phil Cordella leaves
behind more than mere bricks and mortar; he leaves behind a legacy to
the residents of the South Junior High School and Newburgh communities
and to future generations of their students; and
WHEREAS, As members of the Newburgh community and his colleagues,
family and friends gather to honor Phil Cordella at the Nu-Cava Restau-
rant in Wallkill on Wednesday, June 9, 2010, it is the sense of this
Legislative Body to recognize Phil Cordella for his dedication and
achievements; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Phil Cordella upon the occasion of his retirement, to commend him
for his significant contributions to education in New York State and to
wish him well in his retirement; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Phil Cordella.