Welcome the Next Lower School Director of MCS, Alisa Soriano '98

I am excited to share the news that Alisa Soriano ‘98 will be our next Lower School Director! After a highly competitive national search led by RG175 and our Lower School Director Search Committee, Alisa stood out for her lifelong commitment to progressive education, devotion to supporting teachers and their continued professional development, dedication to cultivating diverse, equitable, and just school environments, and considerable managerial skills. As an MCS alum, Alisa’s love for MCS is obvious, and we are so excited to welcome her back to MCS!

 

Alisa will be joining us from the Little Red Elisabeth Irwin School, where she is currently Assistant Principal of the Lower School. In this role, she handles the day-to-day school operations, serves as a member of the LREI senior leadership team, directs the Associate Teacher Program, and has been instrumental in steering the Lower School through the pandemic. Alisa’s 16 year career has been in both private and public schools across NYC, including one year as an Assistant Teacher at MCS. She received her BA from Wesleyan University and her MS from Bank Street. 

Alisa is an energetic leader and dynamic communicator who proudly wears her passion for MCS on her sleeve. Her colleagues at LREI describe Alisa as a “talented, knowledgeable, and a mission-driven educator” who “always makes everyone feel taken care of” and “brings out the best in teachers.” We are thrilled Alisa will be bringing these strengths to our community of educators, students, families, and alumni! 

“I am filled with a special joy today. Coming home to MCS has always been my dream,” Alisa said in a statement. “It is with a full heart that I rejoin the MCS community as Lower School Director. This is a significant moment in MCS’s history. I will honor Mary’s legacy and continue the work she’s committed her life to, while supporting faculty and families through this transition. I know that MCS’s greatest gift has always been its community, and I look forward to this next chapter that we will write together.” 

Many thanks once again to our Lower School Search Committee - Kerry, Jay, Njeri, Sarah, and Tiffany - for the many hours they invested over the past three months to make this process a success. I look forward to sharing more information in the coming weeks about opportunities to meet and welcome Alisa back home to MCS. Please join me in congratulating Alisa!