*Director of Pupil Services*
By: BHS Staff Profiles
October 20, 2023
Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Mrs. Paula Jones. This is currently Mrs. Jones’s eighth year in the Brooklyn City School District. Overall, she has spent 31 years in education. Mrs. Jones can be found cooking, shooting pool, or watching scary movies in her free time. A fun fact about her is that she drove a race car this past Summer, and she cannot wait to do it again as it is on her bucket list.
Q: Out of everything there is to offer, role-wise, why did you choose this line of work?
A: “I have wanted to be a teacher since third grade. My teacher was very compassionate during a difficult time in my life, and I decided that I wanted to have the same impact on children.”
Q: What is an average day as a Pupil Services Director?
A: “This is not easy to answer because there is nothing ‘average’ about what I do. On a large scale, I oversee our preschool, our special education, and mental health services for the district; these roles include many meetings, managing budgets, and district compliance.”
Q: How do you deal with a stressful situation?
A: “Usually, stressful situations include other people, so I try to be the calm and logical one. It’s important to use problem-solving strategies to work your way through a stressful situation. Remember that it’s only a moment in time and not forever.”
Q: What is the best piece of advice for someone who wants to be in your line of work?
A: “Just know that it’s very important to be organized, be a good problem-solver, and know how to interact with people, even when they are being difficult.”
Q: What is your favorite clothing brand?
A: “Whatever there is at T.J.Maxx. If I’m getting dressed up, I like Michael Kors and Vince Camuto.”
Q: Would you rather cuddle a koala or hang out with a panda?
A: “My cat would get jealous if I cuddled with something else, so I’ll hang out with the panda as long as it likes to watch scary movies.”
Q: If you could have another career for a day, what would it be?
A: “If I were younger, I always thought it would be fun to be a Radio City Rockette dancer, especially at Christmas.”
Q: What was your last meal?
A: “Thank goodness I’ve eaten since my dinner of potato chips last night! My last meal was a Mediterranean grilled chicken salad.”
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions and for participating in our interview. We appreciate all that you do for the preschoolers and special education students. We would also like to wish you all of the best this year and beyond. Break some speed limits in that race car!
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 