PLUMSTED — Three years after she joined the Plumsted Township School District as its superintendent, Karen Jones announced her resignation during a special Board of Education meeting on Oct. 1.
Jones said she will become the assistant superintendent in the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District in Monmouth County.
“Dr. Jones has done a lot of good things in the district,” board President Harry Miller said. “I think she found an opportunity to continue her [professional] growth …”
Miller said an interim superintendent will be hired to run the district while the board conducts a search for a new superintendent.
Jones came to Plumsted in June 2011 after working as an assistant superintendent in the Howell K-8 School District for 12 years.
Under Jones’ direction, Plumsted has seen major changes to its curriculum and technological capabilities in an effort to conform to new guidelines, including the Common Core State Standards and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) testing.
“We have done a great deal in terms of literacy in the district over the last three years,” she said. “The district is in a good position right now to start to see some real changes in terms of making sure we are ready to go with the Common Core and continuing to see our students become successful.”
According to Jones, many changes were a major step in the right direction and necessary to provide students with a modern learning experience. Among those changes was the introduction of more technology in classrooms.
Jones said she plans to use what she learned as Plumsted’s superintendent in her new position in the Matawan-Aberdeen district when applicable.
“It is a different district and their needs will be different, but as I start there I will have to do a needs assessment as to where they are and where they want to get to, which is kind of what I did here,” she said. “The students, staff, administrative team and parental support in this district has been amazing. I have appreciated my time here and the growth I have had professionally.”
When Jones arrives in the Matawan-Aberdeen district, she will be reunited with Enid Golden, who was the superintendent of schools in Howell when Jones was a member of the administration in that district. Golden is currently serving as the interim superintendent in the Matawan- Aberdeen district.
Contact Andrew Martins at [email protected].