Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School assistant principal Dorothy Drexel has been named the 2025 Administrator of the Year for Nassau County by the School Administrators Association of New York State.
Drexel received the award on April 23 at the School Administrators Association of New York State Region 2 Unit Presidents and Awards Dinner.
“I was overwhelmed when I got the news, quite frankly,” she said. “I’m very proud and very thankful for the honor.”
Drexel has been an administrator in the district since 2016. Before then, she worked for four years as an English teacher at Carey High School and then as a chairperson in the Sewanhaka School District.
To be eligible for the award, Drexel needed to have served as an administrator for at least three straight years and be acknowledged by their peers.
“With all the daily demands that come with being an Assistant Principal, Mrs. Drexel goes out of her way to make these extra commitments to enhance her own school community,” the recommendation letter submitted to the association by one of Drexel’s colleagues and provided to Schneps Media Long Island said.
Drexel has been a driving force behind numerous initiatives that foster equity, inclusion, and student engagement in the district. She is the director of the Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee, which was founded in 2021. The committee has united students, staff, parents, and community members in meaningful dialogue and action.
“We have really shown the light on how we are very inclusive, and we want people to feel like they belong in this district,” she said. “We are truly working on making this a culturally responsive district.”
Drexel said the committee meets four times a year and holds events to celebrate diversity throughout the district. This past fall, Drexel helped the district welcome students back from summer break with a sunflower garden project that she said was meant to symbolize hope and renewal.
Drexel said that these uplifting initiatives create an environment that she enjoys being a part of.
“It just shows me that the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District is a wonderful place to work and to grow professionally,” she said.
