Mary Natoli’s 36-Year Education Career Drove School Turnarounds

Mary Natoli, a longtime New York educator and former principal, is being recognized for a 36-year career built on equity, instructional innovation and school improvement. Her leadership helped transform Covert Avenue School from the district’s lowest-performing elementary school to its highest-performing one.

Why it matters: - Mary Natoli’s career shows how sustained school leadership can improve student outcomes, staff culture and school performance over time. - Her work focused on equity, multilingual learners and students from immigrant families in high-need schools. - Her story also highlights the pipeline from classroom teaching to administrative leadership in public education.

What happened: - Mary Natoli retired after 36 and a half years in education. - She served as a classroom teacher, instructional leader, assistant principal and principal. - She spent 13 years as principal of Covert Avenue School in the Elmont Union Free School District. - The profile was published by Influential Women on August 7, 2026. - More information is available through Mary Natoli’s profile.

The details: - Natoli began her path in education after two years at Fordham Law School, then left law school when she became pregnant and chose teaching. - Her parents were immigrants with fourth- and eighth-grade educations, and their emphasis on learning shaped her view of education. - She started in a Title I school near her home where 99% of students qualified for free lunch. - During five years as a classroom teacher, Natoli used small-group instruction in classes of 36 students. - She received an America’s Choice grant, developed model reading classrooms and helped secure more than $1 million in funding for instructional improvement. - She later worked as a math facilitator before earning a master’s degree in administration. - As an assistant principal, she served for 10 years in a school on the state restructuring list and helped lead a successful turnaround that removed the school from that designation. - As principal of Covert Avenue School, Natoli helped move the campus from the district’s lowest-performing elementary school to the highest-performing. - The school served a diverse student body that included many multilingual learners and children from immigrant families. - Natoli later earned a doctorate in organizational leadership. - She retired at age 59. - Outside education, Natoli enjoys golf, travel and time with her family.

Between the lines: - Natoli’s career reflects a leadership style rooted in persistence, collaboration and trust-building rather than top-down management. - Her emphasis on staff respect, including for custodians, aides and transportation workers, points to a broader view of school culture as a whole-community effort. - Her experience also underscores how resource constraints, political pressure and administrative demands continue to shape school leadership. - The profile presents education as both an equity issue and a workforce issue, with teacher support positioned as central to student success.

What's next: - Natoli is using her Influential Women profile to share lessons from her career and encourage future women leaders. - Her message centers on resilience, self-belief and defining success through service and results. - The broader takeaway for schools is that sustained leadership, strong relationships and consistent instructional support can drive measurable change.

The bottom line: - Mary Natoli’s career is a case study in how long-term, equity-focused leadership can reshape a school and leave a durable legacy.