Longtime A.P. of Safety and Security Mr. Franzese Prepares to Ride Off into the Sunset

Mr. Franzese in his office. *Photo: Francis Lindaman*

By ERISA MANI and AMELIA CRAWFORD

A booming voice echoes through the hallway, reverberations bouncing off the walls, as Mr. Richard Franzese reminds Hornets to get to class on time. Smiles grace the faces of passing students as another dry joke escapes his mouth, the comforting buzz of his presence filling the air, if only for a few more months. Our valued assistant principal of safety and security will soon be leaving the Hive, his home away from home, at the end of the spring semester.

“It’s really bittersweet knowing Mr. Franzese is retiring,” junior Moriah Isakov said. “I’m happy for him because he deserves his time to relax after everything he’s done in the dean’s office for students, but it’s sad knowing he won’t be around anymore.”

As a young adult, Mr. Franzese attended John Dewey High School. The times were completely different, he said – students nowadays are more “tech savvy” but not as “worldly.”

“In the 1980s, we were aware of current events,” he explained. “We’d watch the news every night, we’d pick up a newspaper and read it to see what was going on. You guys now are just the blind leading the deaf.”

Mr. Franzese originally aspired to become an engineer until a former teacher cracked through his heart and suggested a career in education. He began his journey to teaching in 1993 at South Shore High School, a “great place” that he “really loved,” he said, but when in 1995 he was offered a job at Midwood, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

In the beginning, he taught social studies, where he realized that the most important aspect of school is just showing up and doing your best. “Don’t cheat,” he warned. “You cheat, you’re only cheating yourself. It may be immediate gratification, but long term, you’re short-changing yourself.”

In 2002, Mr. Franzese became the school’s head dean, and just two years after that he became the first assistant principal of safety and security. The role didn’t just come with duties regarding school grounds; it also meant being open-minded and providing a shoulder for others to lean on.

“Whenever it comes to listening, Mr. Franzese is top tier, and I personally believe he is the best storyteller,” said Shahd Elrashidi ‘27. “He’s one of those adults who constantly engages in conversation with students.”

Whether it’s academics or personal matters, students said that Mr. Franzese is there for it all. And they aren’t the only ones who confide in him.

“He’s is a very unique boss and a very unique character, and he’s been great for Midwood,” said Mr. Jason Richardson, a dean and history teacher who has worked alongside Mr. Franzese for 33 years. “He's given everything to make the dean's office and the school feel safe and secure. The camaraderie that I have with him has been a great thing, and I will miss that a great deal.”

“He is somebody where if you say to him ‘I'm going through a little bit of a hard time’ or ‘my relative's sick,’ he'll do anything to help you and he will back you up 100% if he thinks you're right,” Mr. Richardson added.

The road hasn’t always been easy, and the wind has blown him through some unexpected twists and turns, but he wouldn’t trade it for the world. “I’m not a religious person,” said Mr. Franzese, “but I’ve always felt that it was God’s will to have me staying here watching over the school.”

“Although I was only here for the last chapter, obviously the ones preceding me were very powerful and well-written,” said Dr. Robert Quinlan, the school’s principal. “To have done this job for so long in one school is very rare in the DOE, and it just shows how committed he is to the safety and security of the Hive.”

How does one describe Mr. Franzese’s personality? “He would probably tell you his best quality is that he’s funny, but you know what, when he doesn’t try, he really is,” said Ms. Jennifer Roman Seidman, a dean. “His rapport with the students is fantastic. They know he's not going to put up with any nonsense, but they also know he has a heart. He's a terrific role model not just for the kids, but for us deans as well.”

In his retirement, the “old fart,” as he calls himself, hopes to “sleep late and pick up some hobbies” and still plans to work in the future. Retirement isn’t just the end of one page, it’s also the start of a new one.

He offered a little advice for students. “Do what you love,” he said. “If you do what you love as a career, you’ll never work a day in your life. There's nothing wrong with being a little greedy when it comes to making money because we all want to have a good life, but help people in the process because that's what we're on this planet to do. So find a career where you can help.”

After the close of this chapter in our Hornet novel, the pages of the book slowly lift as a light breeze runs through them. It will soon be time for Mr. Franzese to lift himself up onto his horse once more and ride off into the sunset, his famous line echoing in the wind: “My wife is so…”