Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Turner
Dr. John Ramos, above, was recently chosen to be the new superintendent of schools for the South Orange-Maplewood School District.
MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange-Maplewood School District Board of Education announced Monday, March 16, that, after an extensive search process, its members voted to hire Dr. John Ramos as the new superintendent of the district.
Ramos will begin his new post as superintendent as of Aug. 1. Contract terms for Ramos include a four-year, 11-month contract with a base salary of $177,500.
The eight members of the Board of Education who participated in the superintendent search voted unanimously to hire Ramos. Board member Johanna Wright did not participate in the search due to board guidelines and therefore did not vote.
Ramos is currently serving as the CEO/principal at the Middle East International School in Doha, Qatar. He is also a leadership consultant at the American Consortium Center for Training in Qatar. Ramos’ 30-year career in education spans a wide range of experiences, including serving as director of minority student affairs at the University of Rhode Island; principal/director of a laboratory high school in Providence, R.I.; principal of Norwalk High School in Norwalk, Conn.; superintendent in Watertown and Bridgeport, Conn.; and interim superintendent in Groton, Conn.
Ramos holds a B.A. in English and American literature from Brown University, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Rhode Island, and a doctorate in education from Teachers College at Columbia University. His doctoral dissertation focused on analyzing high school accreditation and advocacy design.
“I am deeply honored and look forward to becoming a part of the outstanding South Orange-Maplewood learning community,” Ramos wrote in a letter to the community. “As your superintendent, I will be committed to sustaining, supporting and building upon your record of accomplishments in order to help all students develop holistically and help staff to foster 21st century learning and growth.
“My beliefs and values include an absolute commitment to the concept of excellence and equity,” Ramos continued. “Some people see these terms as mutually exclusive; I don’t. Simply put, I believe our job is to deliver quality and excellence to all students. I also subscribe to the ideas set forth in Stephen Covey’s ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,’ including the notion that our organizations must pay attention to the goose, as well as the golden egg; that is, those who are responsible for developing our students as well as actual student achievement.”
The hiring of Ramos follows an eight-month search process by the district that included input from the community, administration and staff. The initial step of the process was community focus groups, which led to the development of the search criteria and the prioritization of areas of focus for the new superintendent.
The superintendent search criteria fell into four broad categories: management experience; financial expertise; strategy and vision; and character traits and personality. During the search process, the school board reviewed applications, supporting documentation, and conducted multiple rounds of interviews with prospective candidates.
“We’re excited to have Dr. Ramos joining us,” board President Wayne Eastman said in a press release.
“He has a focus on listening to and empowering people that we think is exactly what we need to lift ourselves from being good to being great,” Eastman continued.
Ramos will visit South Orange and Maplewood in April. At that time, there will be an opportunity for him to engage with students, district administration and staff, American School Counselor Association and South Orange-Maplewood Education Association leadership, PTA and community leaders, and the community at large.
A community forum is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, from 7:30 to 9 p.m.; the location has yet to be announced.
Ramos will also be visiting the district’s schools.
Details of the plans Ramos’ visit will be forthcoming in a release from the school district shortly.