By Charley Falkenburg, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY School Superintendent Earl Kim will be saying aloha to New Jersey followed by aloha to Hawaii on June 30 when he officially departs the Garden State to return to his roots.
After five years as Montgomery’s superintendent, Mr. Kim will be taking another position in his home state. Starting July 2, he will be the headmaster of Kamehameha Schools Kapalama campus a kindergarten through 12th grade school system of 3,300 students.
Mr. Kim found out about the position last August when a friend sent him an invitation, thinking the job and its location might be of interest to him.
Although happy in Montgomery, Mr. Kim decided to leave due to disagreements with ongoing state mandates concerning education. He particularly disagreed with the lack of autonomy in public schools and the state’s direction toward consolidation, which he thinks changes the role of a superintendent.
”I didn’t see myself working well in that environment,” said Mr. Kim. “When the opportunity came up to not only serve a school population that wanted me there, but a school community that had a mission to really educate all students and had autonomy it was impossible to say no.”
Mr. Kim emphasized he wasn’t criticizing the current administration and recognized state officials were only doing their jobs. However, he still thought it made sense to move on.
”I wish them well, but there are initiatives underway to improve schooling that go against my beliefs,” he explained.
With a bachelor’s degree in history from Cornell University, a master’s in public and international affairs from Princeton University and four years in the United States Marine Corps under his belt, Mr. Kim entered the education world via the alternate route.
However, since he was a kid he knew education was where he belonged.
”When I was a kid, I had a dream of starting up my own school because I had such a wonderful experience as a student. I had teachers and coaches who cared and I wanted that for every child,” said Mr. Kim. “Nothing is more influential on a student’s life than his or her teachers, coaches and advisors within the school setting.”
Which is why he began teaching math and social studies at Trenton High School in 1988 before taking on administrative positions such as assistant principal and principal in Cherry Hill and Emerson. He kept teaching until 2003, when he became a superintendent for the Verona school district.
”It seemed like the next logical thing. I had been a principal for seven years and I had been teaching for 13 years,” said Mr. Kim. “I thought it was an opportunity to make a bigger impact.”
Mr. Kim traded in Verona for Montgomery in 2008 a move he attributed to the persistence of Sam Stuart, an interim superintendent for Montgomery.
”Every time he would see me, he would say ‘Earl, you should come to Montgomery,’” recalled Mr. Kim. “He persisted so I agreed to come and talk to the school board. Next thing I know, I’m in Montgomery.”
Although he had some reservations about working with a larger board of education, his concerns were swept away when he saw the board’s focus. He said he particularly liked how they didn’t buy into the averages that make for “beautiful school ranking lists” and wanted to make sure every child experiences success socially, emotionally and scholastically to prepare them for life.
Among the things he would miss about New Jersey, Mr. Kim listed all the people he has worked with throughout the years, the students, the area’s cultural resources and especially the Montgomery faculty and school leadership.
”We worked closely together and weathered some tough times relatively well and we’ve come through intact rather than at each other’s throats,” said Mr. Kim.
However, there are some things he won’t be sad to leave behind.
”I won’t miss the yard work,” he said with a laugh. “I won’t miss worrying about what’s in the headlines everyday.”
Mr. Kim said that among learning how to fish, he plans on continuing to work with charter schools and begin working with preschools to ensure they have as strong a foundation as possible.
But the first thing Mr. Kim intends to do is get his feet on the sand.
”I don’t even need a drink it will be an elixir just to have my feet on the sand and feel the waves wash up on my toes,” said Mr. Kim. “To just get connected again to the place I was born.”
The Board of Education has selected Nancy Gartenberg, superintendent of the South Hunterdon Regional School District, to replace Mr. Kim.

