At the June 11, 2025 meeting, the Cohoes Board of Education approved the recommendation of Mike Kloczko for the position of assistant principal of the Cohoes High School beginning July 1.
Mr. Kloczko has been a fixture at the high school for 18 years as an Earth Science teacher and the Science Department Teacher Leader for the past 10 years.
He received his bachelor’s degree from SUNY Cortland, followed by his master’s from West Virginia University. He then earned administrative certifications — both building and district levels — from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA).
After many years in the classroom, Mr. Kloczko knew it was the right time for him to further his career.
“I always strive to do more and learn more,” he said. “As I have grown at Cohoes, I wanted to move beyond the classroom and develop as an educator. When this opportunity presented itself, I felt that it was the right time for me.”
CHS Principal Laura Tarlo is looking forward to welcoming Mr. Kloczko into his new administrative role.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Mike Kloczko since I came to Cohoes in 2016. He is an educator who cares deeply about his students and is an expert on classroom management and curriculum,” she said. “Having Mike as a part of our administrative team is going to benefit the entire student body and I am very much looking forward to seeing what his unique skill set will bring to the table.”
What are you looking forward to in your new role as assistant principal?
I am looking forward to growing as an educator beyond the classroom. I am also excited about being able to do it in a district that has become a second home to me. A place where I know families, community members, and businesses, and where everyone has welcomed me and been so supportive of me both professionally and personally.
What is something you’ve learned from your years of teaching at the high school that you will bring to this new role?
Throughout my career, I have always tried to listen to our students and create connections with them. I will continue to have open dialogue and conversations with students to help them understand situations and how their decisions and choices affect them. I will continue this as I transition to the AP role.
You’ll be faced with different challenges as an AP – how will you face those challenges?
The biggest thing is to meet the challenges where they are and learn and grow as you experience them. There will be situations where I don’t have the experience and will be unsure how to solve a problem. I believe that listening to those with experience and learning ways to navigate the new position are crucial. I am also a believer in trying new things. If there is an issue and we don’t meet that issue and try new solutions, we can’t grow as a person or as a school district. If the issue is not solved at least we know the intervention was not successful, and we can try another path.
Will you miss being in the classroom?
I will miss being with students every day and watching them grow throughout the year. Even before I earned my degrees, I’ve always taken on teaching roles. I helped in the classrooms during college and taught Geology 101 labs when I was at WVU. I will always consider myself a teacher who wants to educate and help young adults, that will never change. How do I do that though, will look different.