Acker Named Whitman Principal

  Kathleen Acker has been confirmed as Whitman's principal by the South Huntington Board of Education.

She has served as interim principal since James Polansky was promoted earlier this year to assistant superintendent of personnel and district services.

Acker's career has taken an unusual path. After her freshman year at SUNY Geneseo, she spent a summer working at Grumman Aerospace in computer data for an engineering team working on the F-14 Tomcat fighter jets. Before long, she was employed full time while she finished her bachelor's degree at night at C.W. Post.

Acker spent nine years at Grumman before opening a business while raising her two daughters. After she earned her master's degree in technological systems management at Stony Brook University, Acker became intrigued with the idea of teaching business, and after earning her certification, she was hired to initiate the  business department at Whitman. "Whitman today is still that special place it was when I first started here," Acker said. "The diversity and tolerance allows our students to really be who they want to be."

Acker acknowledges that she has some big shoes to fill in her role as principal. "I was already here when Jim Polansky became principal," she recalled, "and when I became an assistant principal, I had a front-row seat in watching, learning, and helping as he brought Whitman to the success it is today. Jim and I share the same philosophy about where we want this school to be."