Flax-Leight to return to Giffen

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William Flax-Leight will return as assistant principal to Giffen Memorial Elementary School on July 1.

The City School District of Albany Board of Education approved Flax-Leight’s transfer at its meeting on Thursday.

Flax-Leight began at Giffen Memorial Elementary School in January 2020. His assistant principal position was among the 215.6 positions the district reduced in September when faced with the possibility of a 20% reduction in state aid due to the COVID-19 economic crisis.

The district hired back Flax-Leight in April as assistant principal of Arbor Hill Elementary School. His return was part of a district-wide effort to restore student supports and staff positions across all grades.

Flax-Leight came to Albany by way of the Troy City School District, where he taught English language arts to students in grades 7- 8 since 2006. He also served as the district’s K-12 ELA curriculum leader for the past four years.

Besides his work in schools, Flax-Leight directed a prekindergarten literacy program in Troy since 2012 and led adult literacy groups at the Troy Public Library since 2015.