Jessica Farmer brings Riverhead roots, classroom experience to new Roanoke principal role

Roanoke Avenue Elementary School in Riverhead won’t just be welcoming new students in the fall, but a new principal, too.

Jessica Farmer, 36, will replace Thomas Payton after spending the last two years as assistant principal at Pulaski Street School. She was approved by the school board on April 21.

“The overwhelming support that Pulaski has given me for the last two years has really taught me more about Riverhead,” Ms. Farmer told Riverhead News-Review. “They supported me through these last two years. I’m coming over to Roanoke just to support the great things that the faculty and staff are doing. They’ve done such great stuff already.”

Ms. Farmer, who lives in Manorville, graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach in 2007. She knew from an early age — way before graduating — that she wanted to pursue a career in education.

She would make her brothers act as her “students,” giving them homework and report cards at home. “I always wanted to be a teacher. That was my only goal,” she said.

Ms. Farmer then went off to St. Joseph’s University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. She obtained a master’s in liberal studies from Stony Brook in 2015.

She got her first taste of teaching in Riverhead in 2013, where she joined as a permanent substitute before becoming a full-time teacher. Ms. Farmer taught third-grade, fourth-grade, special education and general education students there until 2017.

She then spent about seven years in the South Huntington School District, including six years as an ENL teacher. Her final year there was spent as a humanities coach.

“Patience is number one to understand and meet each student at their level,” Ms. Farmer said. “Working with the special education population, and even ENL, it’s best practices you would use with every student that’s in front of you, and you just treat every student equally.”

Ms. Farmer returned to Riverhead in July 2024 as assistant principal at Pulaski Street Intermediate School. But when she saw that the principal position at Roanoke was open, she moved to put her hat in the ring.

Four rounds of interviews and a meeting with the board of education were needed before she was named Mr. Payton’s replacement. Mr. Payton, who has been the principal since 2010, will retire at the end of the current school year.

“Ms. Farmer’s impressive breadth of experience spanning special education, ENL instruction, literacy coaching, and building-level administration, coupled with her bilingual abilities and her deep, unwavering commitment to the students, families, and staff of the Riverhead community, make her a wonderful addition to our district’s leadership team and ideally suited to advance our educational objectives for our students,” said Riverhead District Schools Superintendent Robert Hagan.

Her move to Roanoke isn’t to change how anything has been done, but simply to support what’s already in place, she said.

Ms. Farmer said she will push students to set high expectations, while making sure they feel safe and supported — a culture she hopes the entire Roanoke team embraces. 

The teachers are the ones working with the students more directly, so her goal is to make sure she supports the teachers, the community, and the families, so that everyone comes to school happy.

“Riverhead is a big community, but small at the same time. I think that’s what makes it home,” she said. “Everyone works together as a team in this community to make sure that we’re making Riverhead the best it can be.”