Ridgewood elementary school to welcome new principal
MAY 16, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
Caroline Hoffman
A district educator will replace the retiring Marianne Williams as principal at Willard School.
Effective July 15, the school will be helmed by George Washington Middle School (GW) Assistant Principal Caroline Hoffman, who will be receiving a salary of $155,000 in her new position.
According to the April 28 Board of Education (BOE) meeting agenda, Hoffman, who began her career as a third grade teacher at McCormick Elementary School in Baltimore, was a teacher at Somerville Elementary School for seven years before being named GW’s assistant principal in 2007. In 2003, as a third grade teacher, she received Somerville’s Teacher Recognition Award before being designated a “lead teacher,” overseeing other teachers, in 2006.
She possesses state certification as an elementary school teacher, reading specialist, supervisor and a principal, according to the BOE. Hoffman holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola College, as well as a master’s degree in educational leadership from the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown.
Hoffman told The Ridgewood News that she is “very excited for this opportunity” to be returning to an elementary school.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/willard-to-welcome-new-principal-1.1017451
Isn’t $155K for an elementary school principal excessive? That’s only slightly less than the Superintendent’s salary, isn’t it? No wonder our taxes are out of control.
You got that right #1.
$155k and she doesn’t even have a terminal degree?
Don’t forget the Cadillac benefits and pension program on top of that.
Actually I don’t think it is the salaries, I think it has much more to do with the benefits (health and pension) these eat up a bigger and bigger percentage of the overall costs over time so that even without any salary or capital improvements the costs increase too quickly.
Its ‘for the kids’.
Just in case anyone here doubts it…the majority of our ‘temporary residents’ don’t give a shit about the finances here or the taxes, since they will be leaving the rest of us once their latest offspring graduates RHS.(my neighbor just said this again and they were here for 3 yrs so far!)
They THINK paying more for teachers means their dumb kid will get into a better college.
And they ‘suck it up’, pay the taxes, then beat feet out of here.
I have a proposal, and it should be applied to property taxes STATEWIDE, just as is done in Florida.
You pay property taxes based upon the assessment or purchase price when you bought it.
It protects long time residents from tax increase from the whims of newbies.
Keeping long time residents who actually CARE about the community is why the newbies like it enough to move here.
And if you’re dumb enough to pay an inflated value for the perceived benefits…be my guest. Just don’t stick me with the tab.
i’m happy to pay for the wonderful teachers and administrators we have at willard…so far it has exceeded my lofty expectations…
What do you think a “terminal degree” is for an administrator? Does everyone in this town think that they know all that there is to know about teaching and certifications? Why are you so shocked that a school administrator has a decent salary? Most people have no idea what administrators do, or teachers for that matter. They all think it is so easy thet they could do it too. Go ahead, try to get one of these high paying jobs for yourself. But first you need specific degrees, certifications and years of experience.
The reason her salary is close to the superintendent’s is because his salary is capped.
Willard is lucky to have her.