Massapequa's 'Sal Cal' teaches math and empathy

When parents attend back-to-school night at Massapequa High School, they might be surprised by what ninth grade algebra teacher Sal Calderone tells them their children will learn beyond how to calculate the value of X.

“Every year I tell the parents of my students, ‘Your kids are going to learn a lot of math this year, but they’re also going to learn empathy, kindness and love, love for their community,’ ” Calderone said.

That’s because Calderone — with a trademark 6-inch beard that he wears tied with a hair band — has taken on an additional challenge: Connecting the 11 special needs students in the school’s life skills program with the mainstream population.

He invites the students into his algebra classroom to grade the two to three warmup multiple-choice questions that launch each lesson, giving them a chance to socialize with their general education peers. He supports the extracurricular Best Buddies Club that brings gen ed and special needs students together, encouraging his algebra students to join. He also coaches Massapequa’s Challenger sports teams for special needs students that just held its winter basketball game.

“It’s all part of me getting our gen ed kids to understand and form relationships with our special needs students,” said Calderone, 53, of West Islip. “Everyone has someone they know that has autism, Down syndrome, some type of special needs. I’ve helped do my part at building a bridge.”

Parents and administrators said Calderone — who some parents refer to affectionately as Sal Cal — missed his calling as a special education teacher.

The life skills class, formally called the Community and Career Connections program, moved into the Ames building, which houses the district’s ninth grade students, nine years ago.

One day he visited the life skills classroom during a free period. He kept coming back.

“He’s like the uncle who comes in and riles them up and leaves,” joked special education teacher Kathleen Wegener. She said her students adore him.

Case in point: “He’s awesome,” said student Joey Riggio, 18, who has autism. “He plays games, he’s very patient, he tells me jokes, he’s really funny. He’s very nice to everyone.”

Calderone developed and teaches a class called “Math in Our Lives” to help life skills students learn budgeting, time management and other practical math skills. He helped launch a booster club for the Challenger students, and this year the group started a pasta night for each sports season.

Assistant superintendent Jordan McCaw taught in the classroom opposite Calderone earlier in their careers. “He’s got a big, engaging personality,” McCaw said. 

Calderone has been teaching for 30 years and is eligible to retire. But he isn’t ready. “I feel like I still have so much more to do when it comes to these kids, and making sure they get everything they deserve.”

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By Beth Whitehouse

Special to NewsdayBethWhitehouse1

Beth Whitehouse writes about families, parenting and great things to do with the kids on Long Island. She’s been a Newsday editor and shared a 1997 Newsday staff Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800.