The Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education approved Charleen Schwartzman’s (known among students and staff as CSchwa) resignation as assistant principal from Pascack Hills on May 9. Christine Pollinger, who is the interim assistant principal at Pascack Valley, will take her place starting July 1. 

Schwartzman said that she decided to resign because she wants to go back to teaching. 

“I never looked at teaching as a job–I always looked at it as a calling. The classroom has been calling me to come home,” she said. 

Schwartzman will be teaching math at Valley, which will also become effective July 1. She is resigning after being in the position as assistant principal for two years. Pollinger also held her position at Valley for two years, both of which were approved by the BOE in May of 2020. 

The reason why Schwartzman will be teaching at Valley is because they had an opening in the department and Hills did not. 

“I asked for it and they were kind enough to oblige,” she explained. 

While she is unsure which specific type(s) of math she will be teaching, Schwartzman is eager to teach since she will be surrounded by students. 

“I would love to teach a calculus class, but put me with kids and I’ll be happy,” she said. 

Two aspects that Schwartzman especially liked while being in the assistant principal position were working with students one on one and within the guidance department. 

“I have a broader lens than before; the experience is incredible,” she said, “I have been a great student for these last two years because I’ve learned so much.” 

Pollinger explained how she found out she would be stepping in Schwartzman’s place. 

“We had a couple meetings at the administrative level and we decided that there should be another assistant principal to come on board,” she said. 

Before being appointed as the assistant principal at Valley, Pollinger worked as an art teacher and program coordinator at Park Academy, which is a middle school in River Vale that is part of the district under the BOE agenda. 

“I was the program coordinator for nine years,” she said. 

While at Valley, Pollinger said that her favorite part of being the assistant principal was “getting to see the students in all different environments” such as when they arrive at school, during class, and at their extracurricular activities. 

Pollinger shared two goals for Hills that she has for when she becomes the assistant principal: “establish[ing] new connections with the students & staff and normalcy,” the latter goal pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Hills principal Tim Wieland commented on the position change.

“Even though I’m sad to see Ms. Schwartzman go, I’m really lucky that Mrs. Pollinger will be joining us here at Hills,” he said. 

Schwartzman ended by saying that she will come back to visit Hills. 

“Hills is my home…everybody here is my family; I’m just gonna expand it by going to Valley,” she said.