Behind every All My Children school are teachers and directors who bring their own experiences, personalities, and love for children through the doors each morning.
At AMC 4 in Jamaica, Queens, Director Alessandra Long, known as many as Ms. Long, brings more than 32 years of early childhood education experience—and a deep belief that school should feel like an extension of family.
The Heart of AMC is our series celebrating those people and giving families an opportunity to get to know the educators behind our schools.
From Psychology to Early Childhood Education
Alessandra entered college thinking she was going to become a psychologist.
That didn’t last very long.
After taking her first few psychology classes, Alessandra decided they were simply too boring for her. Meanwhile, one of her friends was studying to become a teacher and would tell Alessandra about what she was learning in her education classes.
Those classes sounded much more interesting.
So Alessandra changed her major to Education.
“I switched my major to Education and never looked back!”
More than 32 years later, it’s safe to say that decision stuck.
What began with a friend’s college stories became a career spent teaching, leading, supporting educators, building relationships with families, and seeing generations of young children experience some of their earliest years of learning.
What Being a Director Means After More Than Three Decades
One of the things Alessandra has discovered is that what you love about your work can change as you grow.
Earlier in her career, one of her favorite parts of being a director was building a program.
She loved taking a smaller school and watching it develop into a larger, thriving program — one with a waitlist of families hoping for a place.
Today, her perspective on leadership is different.
The people have become the part she values most.
Alessandra loves getting to know the families at AMC 4 and learning about their backgrounds. With her teachers, she has learned the balance between being there when they need guidance and knowing when to step away.
She describes it as “guiding my staff when they need help but stepping back to give them room.”
After decades in education, leadership isn’t simply about being the person in charge.
Sometimes it’s knowing when someone needs you beside them — and when they need the opportunity to find their own way.
Making AMC 4 an Extension of Family
Ask Alessandra what she wants a family to feel when they enter AMC 4, and her answer gets right to the heart of how she sees her school.
“I want the families in my school to know we are an extension of their family here.”
For Alessandra, caring for a child isn’t simply about what happens during school hours.
“Their children become ours and we love and teach them as if they were our own.”
She also has a very specific picture in her mind of what a successful school should look like.
She wants children racing up the stairs in the morning because they can’t wait to get to school and discover what they’re going to learn that day.
And at pickup?
If a child isn’t quite ready to leave because they’re having such a good time, Alessandra takes that as a pretty wonderful sign.
When children want to stay a little longer, she knows her team has created the kind of place she wants AMC 4 to be.
The Team Behind AMC 4 in Jamaica, Queens
Alessandra is quick to make it clear that creating that environment isn’t something a director does alone.
One of the things she is most proud of at AMC 4 is her team.
“We are supportive of each other. Everyone helps each other out and we have fun.”
Many members of her current staff have been with her since she started at AMC 4 nearly six years ago. Other teachers were personally selected by Alessandra as the team grew.
But perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the AMC 4 story is that several members of her staff originally came through the doors as parents.
They experienced the school first as AMC families.
Today, they’re part of the team.
That sense of community also shows up in the little things the staff does together.
Each month brings another reason to celebrate. It might be someone’s birthday, a baby shower, or simply a fun breakfast together to start the morning on a positive note.
Those moments may seem small, but they’re part of the culture Alessandra and her team have created.
Why Rest Time Is One of Her Favorite Times of Day
Alessandra’s answer to her favorite part of the school day might make parents smile:
Rest time.
But probably not for the reason you’d expect.
Yes, the quiet gives her a chance to catch up on her work.
More importantly, though, it creates an opportunity for her to catch up with her staff.
With the classrooms quieter, Alessandra can sit down with a teacher to talk through a problem, check in about something that’s happening in the classroom, or simply ask how their day is going.
For a director who values relationships with her staff, those quieter conversations matter.
The Children’s Book That Became Personal
Of all the children’s books Alessandra has encountered during her career, one has always stood out:
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes.
The story follows a little mouse named Chrysanthemum who loves her unique, flower-inspired name — until other children at school begin teasing her about it.
Eventually, with the help of a special teacher, Chrysanthemum begins to see her name differently.
For Alessandra, the story has always felt personal.
Growing up, her own name was considered unusual. People frequently spelled it incorrectly or pronounced it wrong.
She could understand a little of what Chrysanthemum was feeling.
But there was another part of the story that resonated with Alessandra as an educator:
the difference a teacher can make in a young child’s life.
That’s ultimately why the book has stayed with her.
For someone who has now spent more than three decades working in early childhood education, it’s a fitting favorite.
There’s Another Side to Alessandra, Too
Director. Educator. Mentor.
And apparently, a pretty good dancer. 💃
When we asked Alessandra what families might be surprised to learn about her, she didn’t hesitate:
“I love to dance and I have been told I am pretty good!”
It’s a small detail, but it’s exactly the kind of thing The Heart of AMC is meant to uncover.
Our educators are more than their job titles.
They bring their personalities, interests, experiences, humor, and joy into the communities they help create.
What Children Have Taught Her
After more than 32 years in early childhood education, you might imagine Alessandra has taught children quite a few things.
But she says they’ve taught her something important, too:
“To stop and enjoy the little things in life.”
Spending time playing in a classroom and experiencing ordinary things through the eyes of a two-, three-, or four-year-old can make the world feel very different.
There’s excitement in things adults might walk right past.
Curiosity can be found in everyday experiences.
Every day brings another question to ask, another thing to investigate, and another reason to laugh.
Alessandra says seeing life through children’s eyes has helped her become a better teacher and director — and even a better mother to her own children.
After more than three decades, perhaps that’s one of the biggest lessons she’s carrying with her.
And Alessandra has the perfect way of putting it:
“Nothing is boring when you are in nursery school!”
The Heart of AMC 💚
Our schools are made up of classrooms, books, toys, lessons, and learning spaces.
But those things aren’t what give a school its heart.
People do.
The Heart of AMC celebrates the teachers and directors who welcome children each morning, build relationships with families, support one another, and turn our schools into communities.
We’re proud to begin the series with Alessandra Long, known to many as Ms. Long, Director of AMC 4, and to celebrate the experience, leadership, personality, and heart she brings to the school every day.
Visit AMC 4 in Jamaica, Queens
All My Children Day Care & Nursery School — AMC 4
110-15 164th Place
Jamaica, NY 11433
Serving children from 24 months through UPK
Interested in learning more about Alessandra’s school? Explore the AMC 4 location, programs, and enrollment information.