Montclair School Board Picks Superintendent (Here’s When She Starts)

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair school board has picked a new superintendent: Ruth Turner.

The Montclair Board of Education unanimously voted to approve Turner as the district’s permanent superintendent at their meeting on Wednesday. She will begin her five-year contract on July 1.

Turner will be replacing interim superintendent Damen Cooper, who was appointed to the job after the death of Jonathan Ponds in 2024.

According to a presentation from the board, Turner is currently the deputy superintendent of the Rochester City School District. She comes to Montclair with “vast experience in the educational field,” including time spent in the classroom, as a counselor and as an administrator. Turner also has experience with social work and student support services.

“As an educator and public servant, I’ve spent my entire career committed to the core belief that every student – regardless of their background, identity or zip code – deserves access to a world class education,” Turner told the board at this week’s meeting.

“Montclair is a community that holds its schools in high standards and rightfully so,” she added. “You believe in equity, you believe in inclusion, you believe in innovation – and so do I.”

Watch footage from the board’s April 9 meeting below, or view it online here.

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