1. Born and raised in Brooklyn New York, Pat Mitchell is a product of the
New York City Public School system. Pat graduated from the Fashion Institute of
Technology and then went on to earn a degree in Sociology at the State University
of New York at Albany. After working two years as a social worker, she began
her tenure as an elementary school teacher in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Pat earned
her masters degree in Elementary Education from City College and her
professional degree in school administration from Long Island University.
Pat has held various positions in the Department of Education and in 2007
was appointed proud principal of PS48Q in South Jamaica Queens. As the
instructional leader of a PreK-5 school, she is relentless about closing the
achievement gap that plagues our scholars.
Pat works diligently with community-based organizations to strengthen
the home-school connection and instill a culture of excellence in all facets of her
school campus. In 2014, she partnered with Rick Smith, CEO of the Pinkerton
Foundation to improve literacy in the South Jamaica community as part of this
drive for excellence. The result was a 1.2 million dollar grant and the most
comprehensive approach to strategically close the achievement gap to date by a
community school. The impact was so powerful, the esteemed Pinkerton board
renewed the grant at 1.3 million dollars in 2015.
One of Pat’s very direct strategies to close the achievement gap begins with
improving attendance by reducing the number of scholars who are chronically
absent. Ms. Mitchell shared her strategies for combatting chronic absenteeism
(CA) on a panel that included Deputy Mayor Richard Buery and former NYC
School Chancellor Rudy Crew. The impact of her practical yet unique strategies
on her school community have been documented by researcher Kim Nauer from
the Center for New York City Affairs as part of her comprehensive study “A
Better Picture of Poverty”.
In 2015, Ms. Mitchell was recognized as the YMCA Principal of the Year at
the 15th Annual Arts & Letters Reception. Her work with community based
organizations is the heart of the work to bring equity in services to those who
need it most. Active PS 48 Partnerships include the YMCA, Reading Partners, A
Better Jamaica, York College, and the list goes on.
In 2016, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz’s African American
Heritage Committee honored for her commitment to educational excellence. This
was an honor she attributed to and shared with her PS 48 staff.
Pat is a mother of two, but has mentored hundreds of young people over
her 23 year span at the Department of Education. A proud member of Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA) Inc., she continues to be inspired by the
commitment of her AKA sisters to give back to the community.