Dr. Peter Osroff

Principal
Garden City Middle School 
Garden City UFSD

Dr. Peter Osroff is an outstanding educational leader who understands the need for every child to receive the best possible education. In his tenure as Garden City Middle School principal, he has proven his stated commitment to "making a real difference in the lives of children."

Osroff led the restructuring of the middle school to improve academic achievement at every level. The most fundamental steps included the establishment of teaching and learning teams; heterogeneous student grouping; creation of elective programs; open admission into accelerated math and science classes; support classes in core subject areas; expanded learning options for art, music and physical education; and the implementation of research-based anti-bullying programs. Special education was prioritized with full inclusion, including a specialized Life Skills program. Technology was used to improve the home-school connection, with Homework on the Web portals and teacher-based web pages.

So what does it all mean?

Garden City Middle School is the only Long Island school in history to have been re-designated a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. It has been recognized by the United States Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs as a Model School in Special Education. The middle school is also a National School to Watch and a New York State Support School for the Essential Elements. The school's co-teaching program has been validated as an effective practice by the New York State Education Department, and for consecutive years, Garden City Middle School's scores on the New York State assessments in math and English language arts have been the highest on Long Island.

This accomplished educator has brought his school to such academic renown. A State Education Department middle-level liaison for the past ten years, Osroff has served as co-president of the Nassau Middle School Principals' Association and is presently Vice President of the Garden City Administrators Association.

He also is the recipient of the Leadership Award of Excellence from the Council of Administrators and Supervisors, the Garden City PTA Lifetime Membership Award, and the Garden City SEPTA Nancy Mahr Maxwell Award.