I did both my undergraduate and graduate work at Rutgers University in New Jersey.  In 1983 I was hired at as an English teacher in the  Lacey Township School District  where I worked for twenty years.   I loved working in the classroom with teenagers, striving to make real life connections with what we did in class and what they experienced in life.  My passion was teaching writing and working with low-level ability students.   I have spoken at various workshops on self-esteem, motivation, and working with teenagers.   In 1997 I received the New Jersey Governor’s Teacher Award for Teacher of the Year.

My foray into administration began in 1998 as a Vice-Principal where I learned the basic responsibilities of school administration.   Hired as a planning principal for a brand new high school in 2003.  I spent the 2003-2004 getting ready to open a high school of the 21st century!   The school was built around the concept of a high school without walls; every classroom has a Smartboard, computers, and a document reader in it.  The curriculum created offers over 100 courses, students can access over 250 on line.  Seniors do internships and service learning projects, as well as enroll in college courses.    I completed my doctorate at Seton Hall University in 2006.  In 2011, I presented at a Professional School Development Conference to discuss developing a true Professional Learning Community at the high school level.     In 2012 I presented at the ASCD National Conference in Philadelphia, Pa on creating University-School partnerships with Dr. Harvey Allen.

This years starts my newest venture:  working on behalf of the Barnegat School District to reconfigure the Horbelt Building into a 5-6 building.   I am very lucky in that I am surrounded by a host of very talented people, and the process has begun with the invitation of the stakeholders to be part of this momentous event.  Most exciting to me is the invitation to the students for them to have a say in this reenvisioning of their school.   Already, they have had the best ideas...   There will be more to come. 

Over the past thirty seven years I have learned of the tremendous power we have to radically change young people's lives.   My goal is to continue to envision others to catch sight of the possibilities of what can be!    As an educational leader moving into the new millennium,  it is my job (no, it is my duty) to  envision "places" I did not know existed, and boldly lead those I am responsible for to where they did not know they needed to go.