Allison Blass brings nearly two decades of educational experience to her role as Lower School Assistant Principal. With a background as a literacy specialist, curriculum coordinator, and a certification as a school building leader from CUNY Queens College, she is committed to making a lasting impact on education. Passionate about the power of play and diverse learning modalities, Allison believes in enriching students’ educational journeys through innovative approaches. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys Broadway and is an avid sports fan. Excited to join the Schechter community, she looks forward to a successful year ahead for everyone.

Mr. Thorgersen brings to our community 25 years of teaching high school English courses. Additionally, he has taught freshman composition, research, literature, and rhetoric courses in colleges and universities including Yeshiva University, SUNY Suffolk, and CUNY York. These experiences helped him build Schechter’s senior-year College Writing course, which prepares our students for higher education and affords them one of several opportunities to earn college credit while still in high school. His background in writing for and producing professional children’s theater informs his speech and drama courses and his experience as a writer and editor for local newspapers and magazines aids in advising for our own journalism programs. More recently, Mr. Thorgersen earned his certification as a school building leader; he now also serves as dean of the high school and as a supervisor for new faculty. His doctoral work focuses on the use of games and gameplay as learning tools.