MAPLEWOOD, NJ — South Orange-Maplewood School District administrators seem to be traveling through a revolving door. The latest SOMSD administrator to announce his resignation is Maplewood Middle School Assistant Principal Marc Gold.
In the fall, Gold will be assistant principal at Frelinghuysen Middle School in Morristown, where former South Orange Middle School Principal Joseph Uglialoro went to serve as principal after resigning from the district in 2015.
This departure comes amid the recent announcements that the district will be losing business administrator Cheryl Schneider, guidance director Jennifer Giordano and MMS Principal Jerrill Adams.
So, while the district searches for a new MMS principal, it must now also recover from the loss of one of the school’s assistant principal.
In a July 27 letter that was sent to the SOMSD community and the News-Record, Superintendent of Schools John Ramos Sr. wrote that the district has reopened the search for a new MMS principal. While the district had already held a first round of interviews, from which two candidates were selected, neither of those two candidates made it past the second round, leaving the district to start over.
“We are committed to recruiting a strong, talented and compassionate educational leader to serve as the next MMS principal,” Ramos wrote in the letter. “This is an important position, so we want to take the time needed to find the right person for this role.”
In the meantime, Gold’s co-assistant principal, Louis Brown, will be stepping up as interim principal until a final hire is made.
“Mr. Brown had been the backbone of the MMS administrative staff through several transitions, and has a deep understanding of the school and a wealth of experience,” Ramos wrote. “We are in the process of identifying another person to support Mr. Brown and the team during this transition period.”
But there are no sour grapes; Ramos wishes Gold success at his new school, calling him “an up-and-coming educator with a bright future.”
While Gold has not commented on his reasons for leaving the district, he has been effusive in his praise for the South Orange-Maplewood community.
“In 2009, I was given the privilege of being selected as a special education teacher at Maplewood Middle School,” Gold wrote in a recent letter, which he sent to the MMS community and the News-Record. “I was straight out of college and I was so excited to get a chance to start my career in education. At the time, I did not know what a supportive, dedicated, passionate, diverse, forward-thinking and kind-hearted community I was stepping into. I have found out that Maplewood is truly a community of collaboration and I am so proud that I have been able to be involved in that partnership for the past seven years.”
Gold also parted with the some advice for the children he has so enjoyed educating.
“I ask that, as you move through your lives, you put forth the effort to build positive relationships and make decisions that will better yourselves and others around you,” he wrote. “I hope that you are fortunate to identify a passion and, if so, I encourage you to pursue your passion. Lastly, please ensure that you treat others with respect and as you would like to be treated. I believe if you are always interacting with positive energy, you will find that the majority of your experiences will be joyful.”