Patterson Irrigator | Your Local Paper - District welcomes new administrator

October 7, 2008 Patterson, CA

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District welcomes new administrator

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Written by Maddy Houk \| Patterson Irrigator
Saturday, 12 July 2008
Alfano Phil Alfano joined the Patterson Unified School District staff July 1 after serving four years as principal of Downey High School in Modesto. Alfano, the new assistant superintendent of human resources, is also responsible for child welfare and attendance in the district. He follows Michael Gardner, who was in the position for two years. “I am very excited to be in Patterson, and I’m excited about the challenges of the job,” Alfano said. Alfano will oversee the Student Attendance Review Board, meet with families and students who are skipping school, and handle student expulsions. He will also work with staff at each school campus to develop safety plans. He said safe campuses and schools ensure safe learning for students and staff. He takes wearing many hats in stride. “As a principal, you do a lot of these things already,” Alfano said. “I think long-term experience as a principal makes me ready for the job. On the (human resources) side, the goal in Patterson is recruiting and retaining good employees.” Before he was principal at Downey, Alfano was assistant principal for three years and principal for four years at Mark Twain Junior High in Modesto. Alfano decided to pursue the teaching profession while he was working as a sales manager. The mother of a friend, a teacher herself, encouraged him to consider teaching. “I think that was the push I needed,” Alfano said. His first stint in education was nine years teaching at a junior high school in Fresno. “Junior high-age is the fun age,” Alfano said. “(Students) still have the curiosity and enthusiasm of the elementary school students, and they are also developing the higher-level thinking skills of high school students.” Alfano has been married 21 years to his wife, Mary. The couple has three daughters: Meghan, 20, Theresa, 19, and Victoria, 15. Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Hits: 194 Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Title Comment smaller \| bigger Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.