The Great Neck Public Schools is pleased to announce that three faculty members have been recognized among the National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) class of 2023. Dr. Jo-AnnEyre Cruz, director of guidance at South High School, and Erica MacDonald, school counselor at South High, are among 50 accomplished educators from New York State who achieved National Board Certification this year. Additionally, North Middle special education teacher Savannah Ahern, who earned her National Board Certification in 2018, is recognized as a Maintained NBCT.
National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) have earned recognition as outstanding educators through a rigorous, performance-based, peer-review process, demonstrating their proven impact on student learning and achievement. Certification is valid for five years; Maintained NBCTs have achieved an additional five-year certification through continued demonstration of educational excellence and leadership.
Savannah Ahern
Savannah Ahern first achieved National Board Certification in 2018 and she is recognized as a Maintained NBCT in 2023. Ms. Ahern is a special education teacher at North Middle School, where she has taught for the past 10 years. Before arriving in Great Neck, she taught for two years in the NYC Department of Education.
In addition to her work inside the classroom, Ms. Ahern currently serves as the faculty advisor for the North Middle Garden/Greenhouse Club. She previously coached several GNPS athletic teams, including boys varsity swimming at North High as well as girls swimming and diving, winter track, and spring track at North Middle. She was recognized by Section VIII as the 2017 Nassau County Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year.
Dr. Jo-AnnEyre Cruz
Dr. Jo-AnnEyre Cruz has been a member of the South High guidance department for 16 years, and she has served as department chair for eight years. Her career in education spans 20 years, including four years as a math teacher and one year as a high school counselor in the Bronx. She serves as the faculty advisor for South High’s Community Action Committee.
Dr. Cruz is also currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at St. John’s University, which is where she earned her Educational Doctorate in Instructional Leadership. In May 2022, she was awarded a LifeChanger of the Year Certificate of Excellence through an annual program by the National Life Group Foundation that celebrates K-12 educators and school employees making a significant difference in the lives of students by exemplifying excellence, positive influence, and leadership.
Erica MacDonald
Erica MacDonald has served as a school counselor for Great Neck public and private school students since 2016. She started in her current role as a member of the South High guidance department in 2020, and she took on administrative responsibilities this past summer as an assistant principal for the GNPS Summer School program. Prior to her arrival at South High, she was a college counselor at the North Shore Hebrew Academy. Ms. MacDonald’s career also includes work as a director of guidance for schools in Arizona and upstate New York.
Ms. MacDonald is the faculty advisor for the Great Neck Female Empowerment Society and a co-chair of South High Shared-Decision Making Committee. A former professional ice skater who once toured Southeast Asia and Australia with “Disney on Ice” and currently competes on a national competitive adult synchronized skating team, Ms. MacDonald shares her talents as an ice skating coach at the Andrew Stergiopoulos Ice Rink in Great Neck since 2008. She resides in Great Neck and has two children enrolled in the District.
National Board Certification is awarded by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. NBCTs have earned recognition as outstanding educators through a rigorous, performance-based, peer-review process, demonstrating their proven impact on student learning and achievement.
Candidates for this certification must exhibit a deep understanding of their students, content knowledge, teaching practice, and use of data and assessments. The certification process—which takes several years to complete—requires portfolio entries, computer-based assessments, and standards-based evidence of successful teaching strategies.
The Teacher Center in the Great Neck Public Schools offers support for educators working toward their National Board Certification. Participating teachers represent a wide range of grade levels and subject areas, and National Board-certified mentors who offer guidance throughout the process. Educators work collaboratively to share successful strategies, strengthen educational programs, and work toward the personal and professional accomplishment of achieving National Board Certification.