PROFILES IN EDUCATION

Candace Braun

Name: Judith Wilson
School: Princeton Regional School District
Years in Education: 22 years
Title: Superintendent of Schools
Education: Bachelor's degree in English, library science, and education, West Virginia Wesleyan College; Master's degree in reading education from Rowan University
Most Memorable Books: Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading, by Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky; Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools, by Jonathan Kozol
Person You Admire: "A person I have great admiration for, in her professional and service work devoted to the good of children, is Marian Wright Edelman [founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund]...Her devotion to fairness, services, and equality for children is very powerful."

At one time or another in their careers, most educators come to a moment of decision: to stay at their current job and keep their loyalty to their current employer, or to take a leap of faith and move on to another job which could be filled with exciting challenges and new possibilities.

That moment came for Judith Wilson last fall, when she had to choose between her current position as superintendent of the Woodbury School District, where she had remained for 10 years, or to take on a new post as superintendent of Princeton Regional Schools. She chose the latter.

Set to begin her new job on February 1, Ms. Wilson said that part of what drew her to Princeton was that the community is small enough to enable her to get to know her staff and students without feeling that there is a large distance between them.

"I have a high regard for what Princeton has already achieved as a school district," she said. And the district already has a high regard for the new superintendent. Shortly after she was hired last October, she was named New Jersey's Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.

Ms. Wilson began her career in education by teaching middle school English in Camden County. Swiftly climbing the administrative ladder, she became assistant superintendent in the Southern Regional School District in Manahawkin in 1987. Eight years later, she assumed her post as superintendent of the Woodbury School District.

Ms. Wilson grew up attending the Haddon Heights public schools, where her children, Laura, 15, and Blair, 11, now attend. She and her husband, Douglas, have been married for 27 years, and will continue to reside in their home in Barrington after the superintendent changes jobs.

Service Opportunities

Along with her duties as superintendent, Ms. Wilson also has a busy life outside of work, which includes teaching Sunday School, taking part in her children's PTA activities, and serving on the governing board at her church, as well as various service projects. She is also a mentor for aspiring superintendents with the Center for Education Leadership at Seton Hall University, a member of the University of Pennsylvania's Study Council, and an advisory board member for the college's Center for Educational Leadership.

Ms. Wilson was inspired to begin a career in education by "a couple of very strong teachers" she had had as a student, as well as her mother, who was " a teacher in every sense of the word, although not by profession," she said.

Another major influence in her life was a college professor in the reading education department at Rowan University, a man who "had the power to shape lives." He taught her the true meaning of education, which is based on much more than words and information in a textbook, she said.

However, regardless of outside influences, earning a leadership position in education was always something Ms. Wilson envisioned for herself: "That was never a question for me; much of my work has been about service and the greater public good."

One of the areas she feels very strongly about is the minority achievement gap, she said. She also believes action needs to be taken to close the nationwide achievement gap in sciences and technology.

The Princeton Perspective

Coming to Princeton at a difficult time, when reports of gang violence are of concern to members of both the town and school community, Ms. Wilson plans to address the issue soon after taking over for Interim Superintendent Richard Marasco.

Neighborhood leaders and officials need to work closely together to combat the problem, said the new Princeton superintendent.

"These issues are always best addressed at a very local level," she said, adding that preventative work needs to be as much a part of the solution as intervention.

Ms. Wilson said she has taken part in recent conversations in the district regarding the potential hiring of two resource officers for John Witherspoon Middle School and Princeton High School. Having worked with resource officers for 10 years in Woodbury, she believes they are an essential part of communication, prevention, and intervention among students.

"It's been a very positive experience," she said. "I think we should take a closer look at the option; it promotes a lot of conversation."

Teenagers tend to make poor decisions, and the mission of the district should be to find out why, and fill in the gaps, she said: "Some of it has to do with getting them involved with better things."

Looking forward to her time in Princeton, Ms. Wilson said that one of the main priorities when she comes to the district next month will be to prepare next year's budget, which is due to the county on March 8.

Other school issues, either district-wide or in one particular school, will be addressed as she gets to know the community during these first few months, she said.

"I think I'm fortunate to come in the middle of the school year and be able to build relationships [within the community]...I sense not only talent, but also great devotion among Princeton's staff to the programs that we have to help students," she said, adding that the level of energy and commitment she felt from school board members when first meeting them was a large part of what drew her here.