Cranford Woman Named Chief School Administrator in Mountainside

The Mountainside Board of Education voted in a new Chief School Administrator (CSA) at a special meeting held at Parent-Teacher's night at the Beechwood School in Mountainside on Thursday evening.

Dr. Nancy Lubarsky of Cranford, who has served as the Superintendent of Schools in Bethlehem Township, NJ, for the last three years, will begin her new role on Nov. 14, 2011.  

Dr. Jeanette Baubles will continue to serve as Superintendent until Nov. 3, 2011.  

James Ruban Jr., President of the Board of Education, told the dozens of parents and teachers in attendance that the decision to appoint Lubarsky came about through a thorough and collaborative process that involved not only board members, but many parents and members of the community.

Lubarsky has over 25 years experience in education with expertise in the language arts, reading, social studies and mathematics. She earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in English & Language Arts at Rutgers University, and a second master’s degree as a Reading Specialist at Montclair State University.

She said she knew from a very early age that education was her passion. 

How will she approach the challenges before her -- in a school district abuzz with change? 

"My approach has always been to meet in small groups and do a lot of listening. I really want to hear everyone's concerns. That’s where I need to begin," said Lubarsky. 

“I want to hit the ground running, but at the same time, I have to be a very good listener,” said Lubarsky.

Lubarsky said she believes she will be able to be effective in this district because she is well versed in the issues that Mountainside is facing.

Board members Christopher Minks and James Ruban Jr. both expressed their excitement about Lubarsky and stressed that they felt very positive about her appointment and are looking forward to moving ahead.

Both Minks and Ruban said that they felt it was very important that the community get involved with the districts educational system.

“Just because we serve on the board, doesn’t mean that we should come up with all of the answers. We are all in this together and we hope that parents and members of the community will contribute ideas and solutions,” said Minks.

Luban told the parents and teachers in attendance that he is committed to improving communication and also seeks greater involvement from the community.

A number of parents and residents voiced concerns about the district which has undergone a significant amount of change in the last year.

During the portion of the meeting open to the public, about a half dozen parents expressed their concern about class sizes that are too large to effectively serve students – especially those in kindergarten and the need for teaching assistants to remedy the situation as soon as possible, as well as traffic congestion in front of the Beechwood School.

Concerned about recent resignations of board members, Scott Schmedel, a former board member and president, told the board that it should invite the two members who resigned to attend the meetings because their perspectives are valuable.