Millburn High School Principal Will Retire After Nearly 2 Decades

MILLBURN, NJ — William Miron will be stepping down from his role as principal of Millburn High School, the district announced Tuesday.

Miron is retiring at the end of the year after more than four decades of education and an 18-year run as principal at the high school, according to a statement from the Millburn Public School District.

“While bittersweet and a loss for the district, we are so very happy for Dr. Miron and celebrate this next chapter with him,” Superintendent Kate Diskin wrote in a message to the school community.

“We thank him for his 44 years of dedication to the students and staff of this district from his start as a math teacher and supervisor, to his 18 years as an exemplary MHS principal,” Diskin continued. “He will be missed for his never-ending support and booster of his school community, as well as this district and town.”

>> Miron’s retirement letter to the community follows below:

Dear Students, Staff and Parents,

This past Friday I informed my colleagues at MHS that I expect my retirement to be formally accepted on Monday, March 24 at the Board meeting. My responsibilities effectively finish the end of June. Of course, I rarely considered my position in terms of “responsibilities” or this being just a job.

I enjoyed being at Millburn High School. I am very appreciative of our staff who always have the best interest of students at heart. I can’t imagine a better group of professionals. I am also grateful for our students. I have always immensely liked and respected them – even if, occasionally, they “act like teenagers.” And, there are so many parents over the years who I count as friends. For years, I’ve told people that a strength of Millburn is the high level of community care and concern. When thinking of our staff, students and parents, I feel like General Waverly in the movie White Christmas as he referenced his troops: “and I never saw anything look so wonderful in my whole life!” --Thank you all.

I had the luxury each year on the first day of school of not needing to tell students to “study” – that is a given at Millburn. Indeed, when graduates visit, I do not recall their grades, SAT scores or even colleges attended.

Rather, I remember the type of person they are. It is not a coincidence that we have a quote from Maya Angelou in the entrance by the Main Gym: “People will forget what you said; People will forget what you did; but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Our stellar musical production last weekend referenced an iceberg. Most people only see the 10% above the water; the other 90% is tougher to discern. Similarly, we should not focus exclusively on the high school’s easily visible 10% that includes test scores and grades. We have many stars that shine brilliantly, but they truly are just the tip of our iceberg. I hope our students and staff keep their eyes on all that matters in the other 90%. Character matters so we reference 3 R’s: Respect, Resilience and Responsibility. Participation matters so we encourage athletics, arts and other extracurriculars. Volunteerism matters. And I think Einstein was on the mark with “not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts.”

My plan to retire would not be made any easier for me if I waited until next year, or a couple years later. I am at peace with my decision, but I will greatly miss being here. I enjoyed immensely my years at Millburn High School, and will surely need to remind myself of a Dr. Seuss quote I use every year at graduation time: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

- With gratitude, William Miron, Principal and Class of 1974

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