Sag Harbor Appoints Michael Guinan As Pierson's New Assistant Principal

The Sag Harbor School District announced this week that Michael Guinan has come on board as Pierson High School’s new assistant principal.

Mr. Guinan was appointed to the position at the district’s Board of Education meeting Monday night. He replaces former Assistant Principal Gary Kalish, who announced in April that he was taking on the position of secondary school principal in the Greenport School District.

Most recently a lead executive at the Achievement Network, a nonprofit organization that helps schools enhance learning for students, Mr. Guinan has also served as an independent education consultant, working with the New York State Education Department and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, according to a press release from the Sag Harbor School District.

Mr. Guinan holds a bachelor’s degree in literature and theater from New College of Florida, as well as a master’s degree in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University. He is currently enrolled in New York University’s education administration and policy doctorate program, the release said.

Mr. Guinan is also a certified administrator and coordinator for courses at the International Baccalaureate level—a plus for Sag Harbor, as the district offers several classes through the program. He is also knowledgeable in conversational Spanish. Mr. Guinan has received multiple awards throughout his career, including Harvard’s Presidential Research Fellowship and Teacher of the Year for English.

According to the press release, the new Sag Harbor administrator first began his career in education as an English teacher at Bushwick High School in Brooklyn, and taught the same subject overseas as a kindergarten teacher in Taiwan.