A dozen years of achievement in Cranbury

Dr. Bartoletti reflects on his years serving as chief school administrator for Cranbury School.

By: Casha Caponegro
   In the 12 years as chief school administrator at the Cranbury School, Robert Bartoletti has seen an impressive amount of growth and positive changes.
   "It was rewarding to guide the school over the past 12 years as it grew from 320 students in 1989 to 575 students," said Dr. Bartoletti, who was instrumental in hiring new teachers, instituting new programs and an expansion of the school in 1997.
   Dr. Bartoletti will leave the Cranbury School at the end of this month to direct a the Professional School Network, a professional development program for teachers at The College of New Jersey.
   In addition to his duties as school superintendent, Dr. Bartoletti acted as principal of the Cranbury School, which serves kindergarten through eighth grade.
   During his career in Cranbury, Dr. Bartoletti noticed many positive changes in the school and community.
   "We have grown as new students entered the district," said Dr. Bartoletti. "I helped to manage this growth. In addition, our special education program has flourished over the past 12 years, which the community has been very supportive of."
   Dr. Bartoletti said that the school’s music program has also undergone an impressive growth, boasting that almost all students in grades four through eight play an instrument whereas a decade ago very few students participated in the program.
   The improvement in the school’s music program was recognized last year, when the Cranbury School was named one of the top 100 schools in music education by the American Music Conference.
   "There has also been an impressive growth in the faculty and the percentage of teachers that have their masters," said Dr. Bartoletti. "I encouraged teachers to pursue their masters and since then there has been a dramatic increase."
   According to the Cranbury School District Report Card for 1999-2000, 57 percent of teachers at the school have a master’s degree.
   Dr. Bartoletti said the capstone of his career in Cranbury was when the school was given the National Blue Ribbon School Excellence Award during the 1996-1997 school year.
   "This honor challenged the faculty and staff to maintain a high level of performance," said Dr. Bartoletti, indicating that the level of excellence at the school has often draw more families into the district.
   "I have seen a lot of parents choosing the live in Cranbury because of the school," he said.
   Before working in the Cranbury School District, Dr. Bartoletti taught in the Lawrence School District and also served as the Lawrence High School vice principal and elementary school principal. In addition, he has also taught graduate classes at the College of New Jersey and Fairleigh Dickinson Graduate School of Education.
   "I am in the position now to share those experiences and views I feel are important for new teachers," he said, calling his new job at the College of New Jersey the culmination of his career. "I understand the issues they will face."
   Although the school board has not chosen a replacement yet for Dr. Bartoletti, he is confident that whomever they choose will benefit from the successful legacy he is leaving behind.
   "Whomever becomes the new chief school administrator will have a strong foundation to develop their own thoughts and programs," he said. "All the ingredients are there for success."
   Some of the issues the new school superintendent faces will be the growth of the school in the next few years and the passage of a bond referendum in January for a $7.3 million expansion project to accommodate this growth.
   "I hope they will continually maintain the commitment and support we have developed over the years," said Dr. Bartoletti.