Joe Stanzione has served as teacher, curriculum coordinator, and assistant principal at the American School Foundation of Monterrey before taking over as principal four years ago, leading this nursery through grade 5 program with 64 classrooms and 1,300 students. In the nine years that ASFM has used the Measures of Academic Progress, students have maintained overall scores beyond grade level norms, and during Stanzione’s tenure scores have risen an average of three or more points in math, reading, and language. His influence on ASFM is wide, including spearheading an arts initiative introducing musical instruments in grades 1-5, overseeing the Character Education and HOPE (Helping Other People in our Environment) programs, serving as leader of Strategic Planning for Values, and introducing learning walks where teachers collaborate to formulate questions and collect related data through classroom visits. Stanzione encourages active community engagement, with parent volunteers who plan events with other schools and organizations, and Green Team parents who work collaboratively with teachers to bring awareness of the environment through lessons on gardening, natural habitats, and recycling. One colleague says that Stanzione acts “as a catalyst of change” and “embodies rigorous and realistic standards for developing students, as well as staff and the larger school community.” Stanzione holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Elizabethtown College and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from The College of New Jersey.