If success is measured by the number of lives someone touches, then former principal of I.S. 201 Madeleine Brennan ranks with the greats. Mrs. Brennan has had the most profound impact on staff and students in Dyker Heights history. Ask anyone in the Dyker Heights area, and they are sure to know her name and have a story about her to tell. It is no surprise, then, that our school is being renamed in honor of Mrs. Brennan–one of the most influential educational leaders New York City has ever seen.

Mrs. Brennan began her career in 1946 as a school teacher, a position that she held for 17 years. She soon became an assistant principal at a school in Queens Village. Then, in 1963, she was hired as principal of P.S. 201, and given the job of transforming the struggling elementary school into a junior high school. This was a new approach at the time since there weren’t many female principals in New York City. Not only was she able to accomplish this task successfully, but she also led the school through many other challenging times. For example, the city's budget cuts in 1970 made it difficult to keep the art programs, but Mrs. Brennan felt strongly that they were important to students' education. She was able to cover all of the costs of these classes and keep the programs running strong.

Mrs. Brennan was a strong, steady leader, who became well-known for sticking to the rules, as well as a mentor and role model to staff and students. She enforced the rules around the school, but also made everyone feel like she was there to guide and support them. She insisted that students arrive on time and were well-behaved in the hallways and classrooms, and was known for encouraging teachers to dress professionally. Mrs. Brennan recognized that small things can also make a big difference.

During her time at Dyker, Mrs. Brennan created a school band, a yearbook, and an honor society. She was also the president of The New York Academy of Public Education and the New York City Middle School Principals Association. Mrs. Brennan’s career as a principal lasted for an impressive 50 years, until her retirement in 2013. She is also known for being the longest serving principal in New York City, and, by some accounts, the longest serving principal in the history of the United States. Although her retirement was a sad day for many, and marked the end of an era, it was also a moment of celebration for a person who devoted her life to serving others. She was recognized for her accomplishments and service by the Mayor of New York City, the Governor of New York State, the Borough President of Brooklyn, and was celebrated by Dyker's staff and students reflecting just how much she was loved and appreciated.

Sadly, Mrs. Brennan passed away on April 9th, 2020 at the age of 93, but her legacy lives on. In her honor, Dyker Heights Intermediate School will now be known as the Madeline Brennan School. Despite being small in stature, Mrs. Brennan was larger than life, and her presence will always be felt in the halls of our school and our neighborhood she so deeply loved.