Building schools where every child is known by name and every teacher is helped to grow.
For nineteen years I have done one kind of work in many forms: protecting the dignity of the child, raising the rigor of the teaching, and building communities where both can flourish. That instinct, to gather a school around the formation of its children, is the thread that runs through every role I have held.
I have led at every level of a school system. I began in the classroom as an English teacher in grades seven through twelve and an eighth-grade chair, then moved into building and district leadership as a middle-school assistant principal, a supervisor of English and Social Studies, a district director of curriculum and instruction, an acting superintendent, and a K–8 principal. I know what a system looks like from the front of a classroom and from the superintendent’s chair, and I know how to move it.
What follows is not a resume. It is a short account of how I lead, what I have built, and the principles that hold steady whether I am running a single building or a district. The work is always the same in the end: every child known, every teacher growing, and systems sound enough to outlast the leader who built them.
Dignity, made operational.
I build schools where dignity is operational, not ornamental: a discipline culture grounded in dignity rather than exclusion, and a conviction that every child should be known by name and held to a high standard precisely because of who they are.
Instruction led by evidence.
I lead instruction through disciplined observation and evidence, developing teachers rather than ranking them, and reviewing curriculum so that what we promise families is what students actually receive. My doctoral research examined how artificial intelligence is reshaping teaching, and why its human and moral core must never be automated away.
Citizens, creators, contributors.
My most recent model organized a K–8 school around students becoming citizens, creators, and contributors, with student governance, parent forums, and partnerships that treat families as the first educators of their children. Belonging, for me, is the engine that drives everything else.
Every level of the system.
I have served every link in the chain: English teacher in grades seven through twelve, supervisor of English and Social Studies, district director of curriculum, acting superintendent, and building principal. I know what each stage of a child’s education demands, and how to prepare students to meet it without losing themselves.
These are not tied to one building. They are the commitments I carry into every leadership role, whether the assignment is a single school or a district, and they are the lens through which I would read whatever strategic plan a community has already chosen.
Curriculum that is coherent from one grade to the next, interdisciplinary and forward-looking, with a clear line of sight to whatever comes after. Readiness is built across years, not assembled at the last minute, so I treat each transition as a multi-year arc. I widen the ways students show what they have learned, and integrate technology the way my doctoral work argued it must be: responsibly, in service of thinking rather than in place of it.
A school where no student is anonymous. I build a coherent approach to social and emotional growth so that every child feels safe, valued, and seen, and I strengthen the traditions, teams, and student leadership that turn a building full of strangers into one community with a shared spirit.
The engine of any school is its faculty. I attract and keep mission-driven teachers through honest observation, real coaching, and a mentorship culture that makes good teachers great. Evaluation, done right, is coaching rather than compliance.
Families are the first educators of their children, and a school works best when it treats them that way. I build the forums, the proactive communication, and the visible presence that earn a community’s trust, so the relationships are already there when the hard conversations come.
A listening tour, by design. Every teacher, every staff member, every family. In my first weeks I would change nothing but my own presence, learning the culture, the traditions, and the rhythms of a school long before I arrived.
At arrival and at dismissal. In classrooms, on the sidelines, at concerts and assemblies. Every staff member and every child greeted by name, with a warm smile. Presence is not a tactic. It is respect made visible, and children feel it before they can name it.
Move deliberately from listening to action. Honor what is working, strengthen what needs care, and align every step with the priorities the community has already set in its own strategic plan. I would do this in close partnership with my leadership team and the families we serve. Change that lasts is change a community recognizes as its own.
I will know the first ninety days have gone well when a child goes home and tells their parents, at the dinner table, how much they love their school.
Two convictions guide how I lead: listen before you decide, and build the systems that let good decisions scale.
Across three consecutive administrator evaluations as Director of Curriculum and Instruction, he scored 3.86, then 3.93 and 3.93 out of 4.0, with Highly Effective ratings in instructional leadership and communication.
Beginning Fall 2026, a J.D. in Education Law at Rutgers — a deliberate investment in leading child safety, governance, and compliance with a sharper legal lens.
Ed.D., Centenary University · NJ School Administrator (Principal, 0200) & Teacher of English · M.S. Educational Leadership, Walden · B.A. English, Rutgers
Not claims about what I have built, but the things themselves. A growing gallery of the systems, communications, and resources I have made for the schools I have served.
The STAR Council student government · Chat & Chew student lunches · a Teacher Advisory Council · the “Hear Our Roar” brand and website · a Parent Academy on AI literacy · a principal read-aloud program
“This is the kind of leadership that builds trust, with teams, with partners, and with external stakeholders. What you demonstrated here is that you are capable of leading at that level and beyond.”
By far the most talented, professional, student-centered, and caring person I have worked with and for.
His exceptional ability to inspire stakeholders and drive educational excellence makes him an ideal candidate to lead your organization.
His leadership has been marked by a clear and compelling vision for the future of education, with a sensible approach to achieving it.
Ken is known for his integrity, compassion, and unwavering commitment. From day one, he brought with him a calming presence.
He demonstrates a deep understanding of students’ emotional and social needs, always keeping their best interests at the core.
A visionary and a team player above all else.
“Who’s everyone’s favorite person in school? The princi-PAL.”
A JCGCS student, Grade 5“Thank you for being so calm, kind, and inspiring.”
A JCGCS student“Firm and strong when needed, but with such a gentle and understanding side.”
A JCGCS teacher“Your intelligence, vision, and forward-thinking leadership impressed me from the moment you assumed office.”
A JCGCS teacher“Stepping in mid-year is no easy task, yet you brought so much support and progress in so short a time.”
A JCGCS teacher“Even though you recently joined us, it already feels like you’ve been part of our community for a long time.”
A JCGCS teacher“You make sure everyone feels valued and heard, and you’ve become someone we can all rely on.”
A JCGCS teacher“Your kindness and approachability make a meaningful impact on our whole school community.”
A JCGCS teacherI grew up in Jersey City, in the kind of community public schools were built to serve. I have spent my career trying to give other people’s children what my own best teachers gave me: the sense that they were known, capable, and called to something beyond themselves.
Whether the assignment is a single building or a district, that is the work I want to keep doing: schools where children are known, teachers grow, and the systems are sound enough to last. If that is the leader you are looking for, I would welcome the conversation.