Superintendent Jose outlines career path from teacher to district leader, says he misses the classroom

Jose, superintendent of the Three Village Central School District, recounted an almost 30-year career that began in classroom teaching and led to district leadership. He said he started teaching in Manhattan, moved to a Catholic high school in Stamford, Connecticut, taught nights in Brentwood High School, and was hired by the Three Village district in 1996. After serving as chair of humanities at Gelinas Junior High School and as supervisor of social studies in Oyster Bay, he became principal at Roslyn High School for seven years and later returned to Three Village in 2012 as assistant superintendent for educational services for 10 years before becoming superintendent.

He described earning building and district administration licenses from Stony Brook University and completing a doctorate at St. John's University in 2022. On his path to the superintendency, Jose said he "never thought I was ever going to be a superintendent" and that he still misses teaching: "every single day I'm in this position, I wish I was back in the classroom."

Jose also described the human side of his background — he is the youngest of 11 and mentioned a new birth in the family the morning of the interview — and said that family, colleagues and students inspired his career choices. When asked what he would do if not superintendent, he said he would return to teaching, possibly at the college level, after he retires.

The interview contains a minor timeline inconsistency: Jose said the Board of Education asked him to apply "five years ago" and elsewhere said "this is my fourth year as superintendent." The interview did not include a board resolution, employment contract, or personnel record to reconcile that timeline.