Updated June 27, 2014 1:46 p.m. and 3:48 p.m.
Maplewood Middle School (MMS) Principal Jeffrey Truppo will be leaving the district for a position with Passaic County.
Truppo made the announcement to faculty members shortly after the MMS graduation Wednesday morning and confirmed the decision in an email he sent to parents of MMS students Friday morning.
The district’s spokeswoman confirmed that Truppo had given notice. Truppo will be taking the position of Director of Elementary and Secondary Education for the Passaic Public Schools.
In his email to parents, Truppo said that he believed MMS to be one of the most “thoughtful communities an educator will ever encounter” and that he felt that “students leave MMS in 8th grade not just prepared academically, but aware that their middle school experience was created by their community, and they are better for it.”
SOMSD Superintendent Brian Osborne released a statement thanking “Mr. Truppo for his courageous leadership, for upholding high expectations for everyone in the MMS school community, for establishing a program of international excellence, and for his passion that when we say all students, all means all. I wish him the best in his continued pursuit of equity and opportunity for all students.”
The district has posted a job opening.
MMS also recently lost one of its two vice principals, Cheryline Hewitt, who was promoted to assistant principal at Columbia High School.
The South Orange-Maplewood School District has seen many changes in administration recently, starting at the top. Superintendent Brian Osborne is leaving to helm the New Rochelle School District on July 1 (although the district may hire him on a per diem basis to consult through the month of July). Susan Grierson, Jefferson School principal, was promoted to Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, to replace Dr. Lydia Furnari who is leaving this summer.
In addition, one of the district’s two International Baccalaureate (IB) coordinators, Jamie Rice, is departing, and the district is also searching for a Gifted and Talented Coordinator to help implement a new G&T Program.
Last year saw CHS Principal Lovie Lilly retire, to be replaced by Elizabeth Aaron.
Further, the three incumbents up for reelection on the Board of Education have declared they will not run again this year, marking the first time in years that no sitting board members are on the ballot.
Assistant Superintendent Jim Memoli will take over as Interim Superintendent when Osborne departs, and in that position all hirings will be under his purview, said the district spokeswoman.
As for rumors that South Orange Middle School principal Joseph Uglialoro would become the MMS principal, the spokeswoman said she had not heard that discussed. “It would be up to him to apply for a transfer,” she said.
The Village Green has reached out to Truppo for additional comment.
Here is Truppo’s email in full:
Dear Maplewood Middle School Community Member,
The purpose of this letter is to inform you of my resignation as Principal of Maplewood Middle School. Since joining the Maplewood Middle School faculty in January of 2009, I have been privileged to learn alongside our community and engage in discussions about what constitutes an excellent middle school experience. As I prepare for another position in a different school district, I continue to believe that MMS is one of the most thoughtful communities an educator will ever encounter. When we speak about school preparing students for life, we must also consider the way in which a school community operates, and how the way we go about our business can influence students. At MMS, families and staff have demonstrated interest and action for students and families in need. Community members have shown a concern for the learning of all students, and worked to support and enhance the classroom learning experience. I believe that students leave MMS in 8th grade not just prepared academically, but aware that their middle school experience was created by their community, and they are better for it.
I will be at MMS working on my usual summer responsibilities until the middle of August. There will be communication to you from our central office administration regarding the search for a new MMS Principal. As always, please contact me with any questions pertaining to your child and their MMS program, and enjoy the summer. Thank you for your interest and support.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey L. Truppo
