Cranford High School Gets A New Assistant Principal

CRANFORD, NJ — The Cranford Board of Education announced Monday that Justin Roach will be the new assistant principal of Cranford High School.

The board said in a release that Roach was selected after an extensive search process including multiple interviews with the board's selection committee, reviews of work samples, and a reference check.

Roach began his career by spending 12 years teaching in two Monmouth County school districts. He was as a high school English teacher in the Wall Township schools and in the Manasquan Public Schools. Over that time, he also served in numerous roles such as mock trial advisor, literary club advisor, athletic site supervisor, and head coach for girls cross country, boys track and field, and JV boys lacrosse.

Roach was promoted in 2016 at the Manasquan Public Schools. He moved into administration as supervisor of humanities for grades 6 through 12, and then in 2018, as supervisor of instruction and STEM for grades K through 8.

During this time he served as district HIB/Affirmative Action officer, as well as the district grant writer — securing tens of thousands of dollars in competitive grant funds from sources like Sustainable Jersey, Hackensack Meridian Health, and the NJ Health Communities Network.

Roach was also involved in districtwide initiatives including overseeing federal Title and Perkins grant funding and serving on the strategic planning committee, QSAC review committee, and school crisis/emergency management team.

Mr. Roach earned his Bachelor of English and Education from Monmouth University, then continued at Monmouth for a Masters of Education, graduating summa cum laude. He was also the recipient of the Caryl K. Sills Teaching Award.

Justin Roach lives in Toms River with his wife Jacqueline and son, Rohan.

The board said, "He feels honored and excited to be joining the Cranford team this summer and looks forward to partnering with faculty, students, parents/guardians, and community members to determine how he can best serve our community."

New Jersey schools are closed for in-person instruction for the rest of the year. Spring sports will not resume for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.

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