Terry Fitzpatrick says he will
be back for next school year
By:Krzysztof Scibiorski
One thing Manville’s new superintendent won’t have to worry about is hiring a new principal, as Terry Fitzpatrick said he plans to stay in his position at Manville High School.
Mr. Fitzpatrick, who took over as principal after Dan Lane’s departure last June, said he is committed to staying in Manville for the long haul.
"I intend to sign the contract once I have it," Mr. Fitzpatrick said. "I didn’t come here as a stepping stone to something else. I took a $5,000 pay cut from my previous position as assistant principal to come to Manville and be the principal. I did not give up tenure at Freehold Regional district to come here for one year and go somewhere else.
"This year has been extremely challenging for us as a new team, but we accomplished a lot," Mr. Fitzpatrick said. "We did a lot of things behind the scenes to get things better organized, to clarify and install systems which will be of great benefit next year."
He said the school has gotten a jump on preparations for next year by hosting an orientation session for current eighth-graders on Tuesday. In preparation for the orientation, Mr. Fitzpatrick randomly selected eight students to speak to the eight-graders about how they felt when they first entered high school.
"This is something I want to do every year," Mr. Fitzpatrick said. He added he believes the students feel differently when adults tell them about what they can expect and when fellow students describe their experiences.
He outlined his plans of having the students and community members more involved in the school’s affairs.
"Next year, one of my personal priorities will be to interface more with the student body, we want to spend quality time getting the students to buy into the positive opportunities at Manville High School," he said.
He added that he plans on holding sessions with randomly selected students and community members about their concerns and get honest feedback on the shape of the school.
"I want honest feedback, I don’t want to hear from the special interest groups, I want to hear from everybody," Mr. Fitzpatrick said. "I’m very excited about the prospects for next year at the school and the district."
Mr. Fitzpatrick said he felt being a principal at a smaller school, such as Manville, is more challenging than working in a larger school where many duties are delegated to supervisors and other staff.
During its April 10 meeting the school board voted unanimously to award Mr. Fitzpatrick a second one-year contract with the school district, sweetening the offer with a $2,000 increase in his $105,000 salary.
The district has until May 15 to present staff members with the contracts for the 2002-03 school year. In the past four years, the start of the school year has often meant the introduction of a new principal at the school with Kathleen Monk in 1997 and Mr. Lane in 1999.