“Mr. Dunbar is literally perfect for [assistant principal],” said Sophomore Jazmine Chiquito, recalling the moment she received an email revealing that her English teacher had become an interim acting assistant principal. “It was really good news, and we are really proud of him,” Jazmine said. “In my class, everyone cheered in the classroom [when we learned the news] because we were so happy for him. He is literally perfect for this role. It was a moment of excitement and happiness, knowing that the teacher who supports you will be helping in a new, bigger way.”
In that email sent to students on January 30, English teacher and Nightingale Theater Company advisor Ryan Dunbar announced that he will be the Interim Acting Assistant Principal of English. Mr. Dunbar is taking over the department from the purview of Principal Brian Condon.
Mr. Dunbar has been a teacher for 17 years, nine of which have been at Townsend Harris. Prior to his promotion to interim acting assistant principal, he was a teacher leader in the English department for six years.
“It has been such a privilege and a joy watching you learn and grow over the course of your time here at [Townsend Harris],” Mr. Dunbar said to students in his email. “In my new role, I hope to continue to foster that growth. …Please do not hesitate to reach out…No concern is too small. I am here to help you as you navigate our English course offerings here at THHS.”
Prior to Mr. Dunbar’s promotion, Principal Brian Condon was the supervisor of the English department. In an interview with The Classic, Mr. Condon said, “Mr. Dunbar is an extraordinary teacher. He gets along really well with his colleagues and students and works well with others. He has always been one of the people to jump into any initiative we put through. He understands the larger vision and where we are trying to go and where he wants to take us. The school is just better off with Mr. Dunbar on the administrative team.”
Mr. Dunbar told The Classic that he was “so honored and so humbled by the opportunity” and that he “saw it as a chance to serve this school in a different capacity.”
“I’ve had an amazing experience with Mr. Dunbar as my teacher during both my sophomore and now my senior year,” said Senior Vee Shupty. “When I need support, he’s someone I can count on and trust.”
Jazmine said, “I just feel like he is so nice and understanding. He is a really great teacher, and I really enjoy his presence in the classroom.”
As teacher leader, Mr. Dunbar was directly involved in the hiring process for new English teacher Jude Binda. In an interview with The Classic, Mr. Binda said, “Mr. Dunbar is very easy to talk to. He is like a man of the people. Usually, there is a feeling that you can’t openly talk to your boss, but I have never felt that way. He always checks in with me, since this is my first year at this school, and he gives me very valuable feedback. I feel very secure because I trust him and his judgments.”
Mr. Binda also mentioned his hopes for the future in the English department under Mr. Dunbar. He told The Classic, “If there was one thing I would really love to see improve is vertical alignment, which is a term that means what students are learning in one grade builds on what they are learning in the next grade. As of right now, our staff is doing a great job in teaching our students, but I would love to have more conversations to really connect our grades together so we are building students’ knowledge as they progress.”
Mr. Dunbar has also worked closely with other English teachers at Townsend Harris, including English teacher and Classic advisor Brian Sweeney. “We actually started our first year of teaching together in a different school,” Mr. Sweeney said. “Our classrooms were next to on another, and we’d co-plan all our lessons together every Friday. He was the first colleague I ever had, and in the seventeen years that we’ve both been teaching, I have always known him to be a true professional, a teacher who treats his students with kindness and respect, and a good friend. He will make an extraordinary administrator, and our school is lucky to have him.”
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