Middle school principal appointed
HARDYSTON. Megan O’Mara will receive an annual salary of $110,000.
Newton /
| 05 Jul 2023 | 04:02
Megan O’Mara previously worked in the Newton Public Schools.
Megan O’Mara was named principal of Hardyston Middle School at the Board of Education’s meeting June 27.
She will receive an annual salary of $110,000.
“We are incredibly excited to have Meg join our exceptional staff and community. We have big plans for our middle school in the coming years,” said Chief School Administrator Mike Ryder, who previously also held the middle school principal’s post.
He said a principal was hired to focus solely on the middle school so he can put all his energy into the CSA job. The middle school has about 300 students.
O’Mara previously was an instructional coach/teacher of language arts in grades 7-8 and a community schools liaison in the Newton Public Schools. She also was a facilitator of digital learning for grades K-4 there.
Before going to Newton, she was an English teacher at Dover Middle School.
She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a master’s degree in teaching from William Paterson University. She also has a master’s in educational leadership from Centenary University.
School board goals
During the meeting, the board discussed district goals, such as continuing to collaborate with schools in the region to enhance student achievement, continuing to improve educational programs to advance student proficiency in math and language arts skills, and developing options to enhance school security while monitoring the careful use of district funds.
Goals for Hardyston Middle School include improving its climate and culture and creating a strong math culture.
Ryder said Hardyston schools aim to “improve test scores, lower absenteeism, and instill pride and enthusiasm in our students and school community.”
School board members said they will try to attend school-sponsored and community events. They pledged to complete mandatory training in a short time and to try to complete non-mandatory professional development to increase their administrative skills.
The school district aims to increase community and parental involvement in order to improve student achievement, promote good citizenship and enable the students to begin identifying areas of career interest, Ryder said. It addition, the district plans to showcase student experiences to parents and the community.
The board also:
• Appointed Emma Carr as an elementary school resource room teacher at an annual salary of $61,156.
• Accepted the retirement of library media specialist Suzanne Ploch, who was with the district for 12 years.