From Russia to Ridgewood with Love–George Washington Middle School Has a New Assistant Principal

Students will see a new face in the halls of George Washington Middle School this September, as Elizabeth Moreland will begin her role as an assistant principal after previously working in the same position at Fort Lee High School.

Moreland, a graduate of Smith College and a former classroom teacher in Massachusetts and New Jersey public schools, as well as a teacher and assistant principal at a public New York City school, says she's excited to be joining a district with such academic distinction as Ridgewood, she told Ridgewood Patch via e-mail. (In addition to her passion for education, Moreland is an avid traveller–she's currently in Iceland, and has recently travelled to Russia, Nepal, Tibet, Guatemala, among others; thus, her responses came electronically.)

"Ridgewood is a large, high-achieving district with a supportive community, stable leadership, and dedicated professional staff," she said, also noting that she's looking forward to closely working with Principal Dr. Katie Kashmanian and her "well-regarded, collegial staff."

"I accepted my first administrative position six years ago, and since then nothing has compared to spending the day with young people and engaging them in learning," she said, calling teaching one of the most fun, creative and rewarding professions out there, also admitting that as an educator she sometimes feels guilty for having so much fun at work while friends are far less enthused at their jobs.

Although the transition into administration from teaching was "initially difficult" for her, "it carried me beyond the walls of the classroom to a station that allows for broader positive impact on students," she said.

Having worked in both classroom settings and as an administrator for nine years, the new middle school administrator says she's excited to be able to fill both roles at GW–all administrators at GW teach as well. Beyond that, Moreland plans to spend the first year networking and familiarizing herself with the GW community, building relationships and repoire with students, families, faculty and staff.

Part of Ridgewood's appeal, she said, is that the district embraces progressive ideas, specifically the two-house system. Under the two-house system, students attend "core curriculum" (math, science, English, etc.) classes with their own "house", but are integrated into music and art classes together. Moreland will be leading Godwin House and says her personal opinion is that current educational research "suggests smaller learning environments are advantageous for young adolescents," so she's excited to be working within such a dynamic.

However, with 2010-2011's school budget having been voted down for the first time in seven years and parced $100,000 (though some in the community thought larger cuts should have been made), it remains a possibility that classroom sizes may increase over the coming years, particularly as an already-tight budget could be hit with increased enrollment and decreased funding.

Faced with a categorical loss of state aid, Ridgewood will be operating under Governor Christie's 2% cap in 2011-2012 (though it can be overturned by referendum), and while the governor's 'toolkit' may limit the teachers union's negotiating power–along with providing budget exemptions to rising health care costs, among others–the cuts may be much deeper next year.

Balancing education initiatives with efficiency appears to have as many questions as answers, and Moreland doesn't claim to have all the answers.

"The decisions districts faced last year were agonizing. If I knew how to make them easier, I would be on my book tour right now," she said.

With a career that's jumped across the globe and the hemispheres of education, Moreland certainly won't just be another face in the crowd.