William Lacker has been teaching at Townsend Harris for years, but this year will be the first year that he is an official THHS teacher. After co-teaching the humanities seminar at Queens College for years, Mr. Lacker was hired as a full-time member of the THHS English faculty beginning this fall. He began teaching at THHS during this summer’s annual Writers’ Academy retreat for drama students and is now teaching sophomore English and the humanities seminar. and is continuing to the first semester of the 2025-26 school year.
“I just want to fit in as gracefully and smoothly as I possibly can while also contributing in my own unique way,” said Mr. Lacker of his transition from QC to THHS
Mr. Lacker has been working in the theatre industry for over two decades and taught at Queens College for eight years, many of which were spent alongside then English teacher Ryan Dunbar in the THHS/QC bridge program.
“Mr. Lacker is new to our staff, but not new to the THHS community,” said Mr. Dunbar, who became the Assistant Principal of the English Department last year. “He has been co-teaching the drama-based Humanities Seminar with me for the past five years and brings a wealth of theatrical and pedagogical experience to our community.”
Mr. Dunbar recently left THHS temporarily to fulfill the role of Acting Principal at Long Island City High School for this semester. “While it’s hard for me to step away from Townsend Harris High School for these next few months, I’m looking forward to this leadership opportunity,” said Mr. Dunbar. “I only felt comfortable leaving THHS for these six months because of the talented leaders and educators in place.”
One of those educators will be Mr. Lacker, who is going to be teaching the classes Mr. Dunbar taught and will be taking over as advisor of the Nightingale Theatre Company, the school’s drama-based extracurricular.
Mr. Lacker said that one of his goals is to build upon what Mr. Dunbar left for him in this position. He said that the classes he is taking over were beloved by the community, and that he doesn’t plan to change them drastically. He instead hopes to add his own spin while building on the foundation Mr. Dunbar established.
“Mr. Lacker is entertaining, lively, and humorous,” said freshman Maya Ali, who was involved in the Summer Drama Retreat. “I believe he will be a great teacher at Townsend Harris. He seems approachable and engaging.”
“It was news to me that Mr. Dunbar went on temporary leave, and everyone misses his presence greatly. That being said, I also admire Mr. Lacker and his passion for theater,” said Nightingale Theater Company president Sophia Cherry. She said she enjoyed participating in the retreat and looks forward to working with Mr. Lacker during the school year.
Mr. Lacker said he “loves teaching the Humanities Seminar” and looks forward to expanding his role at THHS. After the announcement of a “pause” in the QC partnership, the humanities seminar has continued this fall with accreditation from St. John’s University. Over the summer, Mr. Lacker was certified to teach college-level St. John’s literature courses and can now bring the expertise he had as a QC professor to this fall’s new iteration of the seminar.
He said he is also hoping to “find new ways for students to find new opportunities for their talents and their creativity to shine.” He said he especially wants to highlight the talents of students in the THHS community while providing additional creative outlets to them.
“Mr. Lacker would most definitely bring a positive aura and will possibly make Nightingale ten times better,” said freshman Clair Huang, who also participated in the retreat. “Mr. Lacker is so funny and great at being a teacher. He makes the learning experience fun and engaging for all.”
Moreover, Mr. Lacker said he plans to expand opportunities for students interested in theatre through the Nightingale Theatre Company, including rehearsing and performing a non-musical play during the fall semester (in addition to the spring musical) and preparing students to compete in Thespian Competitions throughout the year. “I’d also love to expose anyone interested in the theater and English programs to the rich world of theater that is right at our fingertips,” said Mr. Lacker.
Mr. Lacker said he is also looking forward to stepping into an advisory role in the theatre company. He will attend more meetings, working closely with the leadership team to expand opportunities within the club.
One of his primary goals for the theatre company is to create a system in which the upperclassmen mentor the underclassmen, a self-generating program that he envisions will continue to facilitate collaboration among Harrisites.
“Mr. Lacker’s theater background will make his contributions to the school more refreshing in a way. […] He’ll bring a lot of upbeat, energetic vibes to his classes and the school in a way that most of us might not be familiar with because most teachers don’t come from this theater background,” said S!NG Overall Director Stella Hwang. “That doesn’t mean the unfamiliarity is bad, though. I think it will bring a lot of positivity to our school, and a more open environment for creative personalities and minds.”
