Claudia DeBellis
Special Education

    Claudia Enid Élena DeBellis, was the first born (in rural Concord, New Hampshire) of Helen and Michael DeBellis. In her early years she attended Nursery School in Henniker, N.H. She told us of moving with family to a small apartment in Hempstead, Long Island where she experienced a traumatic adjustment secure in the knowledge that hers were the best parents in the world. She also took with her the early, loving memories of grandparents from both sides of the family. She recalled being her father’s lab assistant in the Biology class he taught at Concord High School next to her Kindergarten in Concord.      
     At the time of this interview on June 5, 2006 she was married to Jeff, living in Bayport and a mother to four children: Frank, Adrianna, Michael and Darryl. Claudia acknowledges the influence that Mrs. White, her 2nd Grade teacher, had on her life. She points to the influences reflected in her varied interests picked up equally from both her parents.
     When the family moved again, this time to Huntington Station (South Huntington), Claudia could actually walk to school. Prior to that she’d attended Nursery School in New Hampshire, and Kindergarten during a brief stay in Queens. In Hempstead she also experienced Kindergarten at the Fulton Street School and then on to South Huntington and a four room school house on Jericho Turnpike where she enjoyed first grade. In second grade she attended Birchwood Elementary school in South Huntington where she met Mrs. White. The school district opened a brand new school and all the children moved to Pigeon Hill Elementary where she started third grade. Next came Memorial Junior High School and Walt Whitman High School.In her Senior year the family moved to Huntington Village and she attended Huntington High School where she met Jeff. Then it was on to Hofstra University where she majored in Anthropology. During those years she also worked in Islip as part of a program for exceptional children. Her favorite subject at this time would have been reading.
   While she may have had lots of experience by the time she landed her first job in Special Education in Brentwood in 1971, she had no student teaching. It was sink or swim that first year. Prior to teaching she had babysitting jobs, worked as a cashier and as a Psychology Lab Assistant while attending classes as an undergraduate at Hofstra.
     Her parents had moved to Huntington Village during her senior year in High School. She met both husbands at different times in her life while they were going to school; one in college and the other when they were in high school. She graduated from Stony Brook University after having attended Hofstra and ended up with 90 credits and certification in Special Education and N-6, when, without an interview, she was hired by Howard Brodsky and Fran Forman because Brentwood so desperately needed teachers. She was later certified in : Physically Handicapped, English7-12 and Social Studies 7-12.
     Claudia loved teaching. She knew from day one that she could make a difference there. She described what she did in a word, "triage". Protecting, reading between the lines, listening, comparing her work to a MASH Unit. She was involved in the ongoing contracts, Book Club, BTA, Her father’s advice had been to join the union and become involved both for the teachers and for students and so she did.
     During her very first year, she made ½ what her friends in private industry had made. During that time she attended lots of meetings, was a union rep and walked a picket line. She was young at 21. It was all very confusing to a newly wed young person. Her father was her role model as was Guy DiPietro who she likened to a Renaissance Prince of a City, with a vision that was moving us all forward. She felt that the Zuckermans (Dot and Jack) were outstanding role models for young teachers. They brought their integrity, honesty, spoke the truth and gave good advice to all who sought their help.