To the Editor:

I write to join the Princeton community in mourning the passing of Bill Cirullo, the longtime principal and teacher at Princeton’s Riverside School. I first met Bill when he taught my son’s fourth grade class at Riverside. He was a force of nature in the best possible way. He was proof that a teacher can inspire, motivate, and teach children while still being strict and demanding.

When Bill applied to become principal of Riverside School, I was a member of the Princeton Board of Education. In my nine years on the Board, the vote of which I am most proud is the vote to appoint, and later to tenure, Bill as principal. He inspired the teaching staff to be the best they could be. He assumed he could make a poor teacher good and a good teacher great. And he always aimed for great. Although his position at Riverside made him the supervisor of teachers, he never forgot the children or the parents. He made education the business of the entire community: the children, parents, teachers, and community. Those of us who are fortunate to live in the town of Princeton know that we have lost a great leader. It is said that no one is irreplaceable, but it will be very difficult to replace Bill Cirullo.

Joel Cooper

Prospect Avenue