Eric Contreras Resigns as Principal of Stuyvesant

Principal Eric Contreras announced his resignation after two years at Stuyvesant High School on August 27. He will aid in the process of finding an interim acting (IA) principal as his replacement. Once an IA principal is found, Contreras will assume his position as Senior Executive Director of Curriculum, Construction, and Professional Learning at the New York City Department of Education.

Contreras’s departure comes at a controversial time, especially considering the amount of attention the SHSAT and Stuyvesant have been attracting recently. “Since specialized schools are coming under attack, having a principal leave who is in support of the SHSAT is definitely going to draw a lot more attention, not only from students, parents, and administration, but also from news websites or other political figures. I think this is going to become more of a political thing,” Student Union President William Wang said.

With rumors circulating, many students are wondering whether or not it was Contreras’s own choice to leave Stuyvesant. “The fact that he was offered the job at this late of a time—September is a dangerous zone for the DOE to be making changes— [...] I think it was a push more than it was a swim. They knew what he wanted, they offered it to him, he would obviously say yes,” Wang said. “I don’t think it was just coincidence that they offered him this job at this time. I feel like time is a major factor [...] which can tell you how deeply rooted this all has been planned.”

Whatever the case for the change in administration, it is likely that the Stuyvesant community will need some time to adjust to the new IA principal. “Change is always difficult, especially since we’ve just changed two APs […] This period of change isn’t blessing anyone. All the parents are especially nervous about it, and I can understand how students are also nervous about it, especially seniors and juniors,” Wang said. For the seniors, the new IA principal will be the third principal they have had while at Stuyvesant. “Last year, he applied to be principal, and he got it. This would have been his first full year as principal. Unfortunately, he moved out of Stuyvesant, which I am proud of him for, but it’s also a weird time for all students,” Wang said.

However, Contreras leaves behind many lasting achievements. Contreras was formerly the Executive Director of Social Studies for the New York City Department of Education, where he helped to expand the social studies curriculum. “When Contreras came in, a lot of parents, as well as students and also administration, were uneasy about having a humanities principal come into a STEM school. […] People were worried he was going to cut off STEM programs for humanities, but instead, he learned how to take his humanities expertise [...] and helped out the STEM departments a lot more than people expected. He gave the humanities the same amount of respect. He managed to even it out, and he made Stuyvesant stand out even more in the last few years,” Wang said.

Senior Caucus President Amit Narang said, “[Stuyvesant] has always [been] viewed as this one-dimensional STEM school, but [Contreras] brought different perspectives to that.”

However, Wang feels that Contreras’s role in the Stuyvesant community extends beyond extending the curriculum. “He clearly did a lot of work on STEM and humanities, but I feel that [...] any principal can make changes to [the] curriculum. Contreras was different. He would always be walking around trying to teach students, even though he wasn’t a teacher himself,” Wang said. “His role in the community is something that cannot be ignored or denied. He was really a special man.”

For many students, Contreras was a friendly face in the hallways as well as an effective and helpful administrator. “As principal, Mr. Contreras has gone above and beyond to work with all stakeholders to bring new changes. His active involvement in the school community—his handshakes in the hallways, being at dances and plays, cheering on our teams from the bleachers, and attending other events—has put a smile on many students’ faces,” Sofat said.

“He’s not only been a leader or a teacher, but he has also been a friend to all students. [...] He knows [students’] names, he goes to sports events unlike some of the other past administrators,” Wang said.

Narang agreed. “You could tell he loved to be a part of the Stuyvesant community, and that was really refreshing for administration,” he said.

Contreras also ensured that parents were involved and up to date in the Stuyvesant community, hosting events with the assistant principals such as Breakfast with the Principal. “His Parent Breakfasts have allowed parents to have a forum to voice concerns and ask questions,” Sofat said.

In addition, Contreras aided in the execution and function of many events, projects, and organizations, and worked closely with students. “[Contreras] always takes the best interest in Stuyvesant’s community and [makes] sure that he enriches it to the fullest extent he can,” senior Raunak Chowdhury said. Chowdhury is a co-founder of Pegleg Prep, an organization that aims to improve accessibility of the SHSAT and its resources to socially and economically disadvantaged middle school students. When Contreras caught wind of the idea, he gave his unofficial endorsement and even proposed funding for the website. “It’s a testament to what he thinks what [Stuyvesant] should be: a launchpad, essentially, for any and all ideas that [Stuyvesant] students have,” Chowdhury said.

Narang also received support from Contreras for the Career Fair he organized last spring. Contreras provided a conference room and spoke with alumni during the event. “Out of any of the administrators I worked with on a professional capacity or a personal level, he was definitely the most fun and the most helpful to be around,” Narang said.

Additionally, Contreras worked closely with the Student Union on projects such as C30s, CitiBike X Stuy, and StuyActivities even when classes were not in session this summer. “He always laid out everything for us, so that we could easily make changes and move along with our project. [...] He has always been responsive, made time to call or meet with me, and came in especially to help us move along with things,” Sofat said.

There is no doubt that Contreras is a prominent figure at Stuyvesant that will be missed by the student body. “If you can see the way that Stuyvesant reacted after his announced departure, you can see that a lot of students were disappointed by the fact that he was leaving, but not because they wanted him to stay as principal, but because they wanted him to stay as a friend and a teacher to shape them into better human beings,” Wang said.