Kenneth Zapata

Cahn Fellow 2019

Principal, I.S. 075 Frank D. Paulo

Staten Island, New York

Ken Zapata has served as the principal of Frank D. Paulo Intermediate School 75 in the New York City Department of Education since 2012. Ken earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature from Seton Hall University. It has been his vision to develop a strong culture of professional learning and collaboration as his school has taken a lead role in several district and central initiatives. In 2015-2016, his school was selected by the NYC Department of Education as a Showcase School for their outstanding work in the arts. They demonstrated how setting high expectations for middle school students can result in extraordinary outcomes. The school then participated in the NYC Learning Partners Program as a host in both the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years. Ken’s school is also a host school in the District Impact Teams Guiding Coalition, as they support other schools in the district with impact team structures and protocols.