Montclair Seeks High School Principal; Appoints 2 Admins

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Public School District will soon be on the hunt for a high school principal.

On Thursday, Superintendent Jonathan Ponds – who took over the reins at the head of the district earlier this month – announced the search for a new principal at Montclair High School is “on the immediate horizon.”

“In order to plan for a smooth transition, we will initiate the principal’s search process immediately,” Ponds said. “The district will advertise in local, tri-state, and trade publications. We will also use our professional contacts to seek out the best possible candidates.”

Ponds added that the district will be seeking input from “all of our stakeholders.”

“The search for a new high school principal is an exciting opportunity for us to work together to select Montclair High School’s next leader,” he said.

NEW ADMINISTRATORS

Ponds also announced that two permanent administrators were appointed at the Montclair Board of Education meeting on June 25.

Damen Cooper will take over as director of personnel effective July 1. Kalisha Morgan will take over as assistant superintendent for equity, curriculum and instruction effective July 6.

District administrators provided the following background information about Cooper and Morgan.

DAMEN COOPER

“Joining the Montclair team as the Director of Personnel is Mr. Damen Cooper. Mr. Cooper knows our district well as he previously served as an Assistant Principal at the high school. He returns with an outstanding combination of strong administrative skills, collegial style, and a dynamic ability to recruit and retain staff through the cultivation of relationships with universities/colleges and key partners to our district.

“His recent experiences were as a Principal in Hackensack and a state-trained member of the Affirmative Action Team. He has also served as a Middle School Principal in Summit and Assistant Principal in schools in Jersey City. His experiences have come from both urban and suburban communities which will serve him well in Montclair. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Central State University in Ohio and a Master of Arts in Special Education and another in Administration and Supervision from New Jersey City University of Jersey City. He is committed to our district and eagerly looks forward to engaging with the community.”

KALISHA MORGAN

“Dr. Kalisha Morgan joins our district as the Assistant Superintendent for Equity, Curriculum and Instruction. I am delighted to have a seasoned administrator fill this highly-regarded and much-needed position. Dr. Morgan has held positions of Elementary Principal, High School Principal, Supervisor of Alternative Education, Supervisor of English-Language Arts and most recently Interim Principal of Columbia High School and Director of Planning and Assessment for the South-Orange Maplewood district. Her education encompasses a doctoral degree in Instructional Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and a Master’s degree in Instruction and Curriculum, both from Kean University.

“Her love of teaching and learning is evidenced by her continued role as an adjunct professor at both New Jersey City University and Essex County College. We look forward to her work in our district as she is at the forefront to establish protocols and form guiding coalitions to enhance our equity efforts; strengthen our magnets; provide specific and meaningful professional development; and manage critical learning data to ensure that programs meet targets for equity and student growth.”

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