Dear GNPS Community,

I’m pleased to announce the successful conclusion of a comprehensive and thorough selection process to hire our next Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education, following the retirement of Dr. Stephen C. Lando. 

Two months ago, the district convened a selection committee composed of parent leaders, faculty members, and administrators to fill this important position. The committee conducted an extremely rigorous process with many highly qualified individuals from throughout the surrounding region to find the best candidate for our district.

At a special meeting last night, the Board of Education unanimously supported the recommendation to appoint Dr. Dan Holtzman as Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education. 

Dr. Holtzman has served as the principal of Great Neck North High School since 2017. Over the past eight years, he has proven himself as a leader who collaborates not only with the North High community, but with fellow administrators and staff districtwide to provide outstanding educational programs to benefit the students of Great Neck. 

In addition to his professional responsibilities in our district, Dr. Holtzman currently serves as president of the Nassau County High School Principals Association. This past year, he was selected as a scholarship recipient to attend the Nobel Prize Teacher Summit in Stockholm, Sweden, and he was awarded the NYS Education Department’s Louis E. Yavner Teaching Award for his contributions to education about the Holocaust and other violations of human rights. Just this week, Dr. Holtzman was notified that he is the 2025 Empire State Supervisors and Administrators Association Nassau/Suffolk Region Administrator of the Year for his “tireless efforts on behalf of students and staff”.

Dr. Holtzman’s career in education spans 28 years, including 20 years as an administrator. Prior to joining the Great Neck Public Schools in 2017, Dr. Holtzman was principal of Shoreham-Wading River High School for nine years and assistant principal for two. He also served one year as assistant principal at William Floyd High School. Dr. Holtzman began his career in education as a social studies teacher, then advanced to instructional specialist for curriculum, grades 9–12, both in the Smithtown Central School District.

Dr. Holtzman earned his Doctoral degree in educational administration and supervision from St. John’s University. He received a Master of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in social sciences both from Stony Brook University State University of New York. He was a Future Superintendent’s Academy Fellow and holds permanent New York State certification in School District Administration and Social Studies Grades 7–12.

Dr. Holtzman will start in his new role on March 17, 2025. I’d like to take this opportunity to again recognize Dr. Lando for his 17 years of service to our district and thank him for assisting with the administrative transition over the coming months. 

The search for the next dynamic leader to serve as principal of North High School will begin immediately following our return from break. We are committed to providing our students, faculty and community with the best possible candidate for this important role within our school district. 

I wish all our staff and families a happy Valentine’s Day and a restful Winter Recess. Enjoy the break and stay warm! We look forward to seeing you again when school reopens on February 24.