Intermediate school
principal steps down
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD — Darrell Jackson, who has been the principal of the Freehold Intermediate School, Park Avenue, for four years, has resigned from his position to become principal of the Fisher Middle School in Ewing, Mercer County.
The Board of Education accepted Jackson’s resignation at its May 24 meeting.
The process of filling the intermediate school principal’s chair has begun, said Superinten-dent of Schools Philip J. Meara. He said the board hopes to have a new principal in place by June 28.
Meara said Jackson was recruited by Ewing, where he had worked as a vice principal before coming to Freehold Borough.
"It’s a bigger school and Mr. Jackson can influence more students," Meara said, adding that the district "will miss him greatly."
Meara said he hopes to retain some of the programs Jackson brought to the school.
Jackson said he is looking forward to his new position, although he said he will miss working in the borough.
"Freehold has been a fantastic place to work and I will miss everyone here," Jackson said.
The principal said he focused much of his effort at the intermediate school on student behavior and "getting students to be kinder and nicer to each other."
He said his administration stressed positive reinforcement and said the results of this method of guidance have been "transforming" and "amazing," although he acknowledged there are times when strict discipline is necessary and that the two methods must go hand in hand.
"There are consequences and limits," the principal said.
One of the things Jackson brought with him to Freehold from his previous position in Ewing was the Good Citizens Breakfast. To qualify for a seat at the breakfast table a student must have "no detentions and no infractions of any kind," according to Jackson.
The program, which is scheduled every five weeks, also includes a guest speaker. This year’s speakers included News 12 New Jersey newscaster Della Crews, Olympic hurdler Dudley Dorival of Haiti, and Borough Councilman Kevin Coyne, who is an author.
Jackson said the program worked well and that on the average, 85 percent of the students in his school were invited to each breakfast.