Gretzula To Earn $112,610 In New District Administrative Role

Schools Superintendent Bill Gretzula will be paid $112,610 next school year in another administrative position. That is down from his current salary of $166,000 but significantly more than what he would have been paid in a teaching role he requested and was given last month.

The at a special meeting July 6 named Gretzula supervisor of curriculum and instruction – professional development and assessment. It also appointed Serena Rosen, of the Bordentown Regional School District in New Jersey, as its supervisor of curriculum and instruction – secondary level.

On Tuesday, the district released the salaries for both, with Rosen's standing at $116,705.

In appointing Gretzula to his new position, the board rescinded its June 8 motion to hire him as a teacher. That position would have paid him between $76,500 and $81,500.

Gretzula announced his pending resignation as superintendent June 8, after serving two years on a four-year contract, to spend more time with his wife and two young children.

Subsequently, he said Tuesday, the board and district leaders decided they would prefer he stay in an administrative role.

“I'm doing this with mixed emotions as my head and heart were set on heading back to classroom,” he said.

“I think people valued the leadership I brought to the district in two different roles, as assistant superintendent and then superintendent, and they were curious if I could continue in a leadership position. They felt more comfortable having my skill set supporting more than 25 students. They want me to help as many classrooms as possible.”

Unprompted, Gretzula acknowledged that “some people will look at this as disingenuous.

“Whether people believe that or not is up to the individual but I was fully prepared to return to the classroom. If I lose credibility in this, it does not serve the district.”

Gretzula, whose new job is an 11-month position with July off, said he still thinks he will have more time to spend with his family. He will be paid his superintendent's salary through the end of August, at which point his new salary will kick in.

Several attempts to get information on the district's search for a new superintendent from board President Heather Nicholas have been unsuccessful.

Vacancies in the curriculum department resulted from the retirements of Sharon Kline, supervisor of curriculum and instruction, and Karen Klingerman, supervisor of professional development.

District officials previously said funding for one of those positions was not included in the recently approved budget. But Gretzula said the plan always was to eventually hire a second administrator in that department once the district figured out its exact need.

Gretzula said the money for the second position was put in a contingency fund.

While Rosen will concentrate on secondary education, Gretzula said he will work with the entire district staff in “tying professional development to a research and design stance.” He said he and his colleagues will use student data to change instruction and intervention.

Dr. Gretzula joined the district in Feb. 2007 as an assistant superintendent and moved up to superintendent in 2009.

He earned his bachelor’s degree with dual certification in elementary and special education from La Salle University. He also holds a master’s degree with distinction in educational administration from Rider University and a doctorate in educational leadership, oral defense with distinction, from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Rosen most recently held the position of mathematics and science supervisor and district testing coordinator at Bordentown Regional. She also was an adjunct professor at Rowan University for 14 years.

Rosen received her bachelor's degree in business administration and master's degree in mathematics education from Temple University. She earned her doctorate in education/educational administration from Widener University. She is a member of the Association of Supervisors of Curriculum and Development, Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey, South Jersey Math Alliance and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

According to the release, Rosen has extensive experience in many areas of mathematics and science education, curriculum design, budget management, grant writing, statistical analysis, staff development and supervision.