Michael Pisseri on Turning Around Schools and Trusting the Process

"I grew up in Eastchester, New York. I am the oldest of four children. My father was a pharmacist in the Bronx for 50 years. My mother was a nurse. They believed in hard work and honesty. I had my first job at 14 at Grand Union grocery store. I worked about 20 hours a week in high school while playing sports and keeping my grades up."

Michael Pisseri is an education leader from Fairfield, Connecticut, whose career reflects values instilled by his parents—a pharmacist and nurse—who emphasized hard work and honesty. Growing up as the oldest of four children in Eastchester, New York, he balanced 20 hours of weekly work at a grocery store with academics and sports, earning National Honor Society recognition. He holds degrees from Fairfield University and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Leadership from Sacred Heart University. As Principal of Davenport Ridge Elementary School, he led a dramatic turnaround, moving the school from lower-performing to one of Stamford's strongest within seven years, earning a Banner School Award and Connecticut School of Distinction designation. He presented at NASA's Johnson Space Center STEM Conference in 2024 and currently works as a Social Studies and Intervention Teacher in New York City Public Schools.

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