Alain L. Locke Elementary School – P.S. 208

For some, education is a profession; for others, it is a passion.

And anyone who knows Susan M. Green knows she enthusiastically belongs in the latter group. As Principal of Alain L. Locke Elementary School – P.S. 208 in Harlem, New York, Green not only leads more than 200 third, fourth, and fifth graders in learning the rudimentary three “Rs” of education, but perhaps more importantly, she also imparts to them the priceless ability to believe in themselves and in their future.

But this should come as no surprise, as since well before Green even entered the field of education, children have been a central part of her life. In fact, one might almost say Green started her career working with children when she, herself, was just a child.

At just 10 years of age, when most children are more concerned with sleepovers and summer vacations than with investing in future generations, Green began assisting one of her former teachers in working with pre-K students. Whereas some might have found the task tiresome, for Green, it was the start of an inspiring journey which, today, is reflected in the countless children whose lives she has impacted along the way. Indeed, every position Green has held – both before entering the field of education and since – has involved working with children.

Following her first “job” as a 10-year-old, for example, Green went on to hold various child-related positions throughout school – from babysitter to camp counselor. And during her senior year of college at the University of Stony Brook, where she studied Child and Family Studies, Green chose to complete her internship at the nationally-known Hale House, a New York City-based non-profit organization dedicated to improving the futures of children and families in need.

Upon graduation in 1994, Green again went to work with children, serving for five years as a Foster Care Caseworker and Service Coordinator for developmentally delayed children.

This background, combined with her unmatched love for children and her passion to see them achieve their full potentials, made Green’s move to education ten years ago a natural progression, and in 1999, she accepted as position as a First Grade Teacher at the Weeksville School – P.S. 243 in Brooklyn, New York. She served in this capacity for four years, during which she also earned her Master of Science Degree in Education from Brooklyn College.

In 2003, Green joined New York’s Frederick Douglass Academy as an English Language Arts Instructor, and in 2005, she became an Intern Student for Administrative Training at Brooklyn’s I.S. 392 School for the Gifted and Talented. After completing her internship, Green joined the Choir Academy of Harlem as the Assistant Principal where she remained until her selection in October 2006 as Principal of Alain L. Locke Elementary School.

In her role as Principal, Green believes firmly that an educator’s responsibility is to create as many opportunities for children as possible so that they can discover their strengths and abilities. Indeed, Alain L. Locke Elementary School’s motto itself – “Where we strive for GREATNESS and nothing less” – exemplifies Green’s strong belief in the limitless potential of her students. And she lives and works by this belief every day, enriching not only the lives but also the futures of the children she leads.

From partnering with organizations such as PENCIL – a New York City program that connects principals with private-sector business leaders in order to expand opportunities for schools – to working with education-enhancement and volunteer organizations including New York Cares and The Carmel Hill Fund, Green demonstrates her commitment to expanding the horizons of the children she serves.

Yet, whether in education or in any other field, Green maintains a consistent and simple philosophy of working with children, viewing it as an investment not only in the children themselves but also in society as a whole, as today’s children grow up to become tomorrow’s educators, accountants, hair stylists, parents, etc.

For more than 20 years, Green has been investing wisely, and no doubt thousands of lives have been impacted and changed as a result of her belief in and dedication to the children she serves.

A 2006 graduate of the New York City Leadership Academy, Green lives in Mount Vernon, New York and is a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church, where she was the 2005 recipient of the Mother Figure of the Year Award for her work with her students.