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ESSEX COUNTY.EDUCATION IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I WAS A TEACHER AT WEST ORANGE HIGH SCHOOL FOR 30 YEARS, AND I COME FROM A FAMILY OF MANY TEACHERS AND MANY PRINCIPALS.
SO I AM REALLY, REALLY HONORED, FIRST OF ALL TO RECOGNIZE MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE HERE TODAY.
UM, WE HAVE A NEW COMMISSIONER, A DORIAN MURRAY THOMAS, WHO IS HERE, AND ALSO COMMISSIONER LEN LUCIANO.
SO NOW IT'S MY DISTINCT PLEASURE TO RECOGNIZE THE GUIDANCE, DEDICATION, AND HARD WORK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF GLEN RIDGE SCHOOLS, DIRK PHILLIPS.
SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING MR. PHILLIPS TO THE PODIUM, MR. PHILLIPS.
THIS PAST AUTUMN, MR. PHILLIPS WAS NAMED THE 2023 SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR BY THE ESSEX COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, AND IT WAS INCREDIBLY WELL DESERVED.
SO ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU A LITTLE MORE ABOUT HIS IMPRESSIVE CAREER.
MR. PHILLIPS WAS BORN AND RAISED IN OHIO UNTIL HIS INTRODUCTION TO ETHEL ESSEX COUNTY AS A MATHEMATICS TEACHER IN EAST ORANGE.
HE THEN MOVED TO GLEN RIDGE TO HIGH GLEN RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE HE BECAME DEPARTMENT CHAIR AND WAS RECOGNIZED AS TEACHER OF THE YEAR HAVING WRESTLED AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE LEVEL.
HE WAS ALSO NAMED THE WRESTLING COACH AT GLEN RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL AND WAS NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR AND HAD A YEARBOOK DEDICATED TO HIM IN ONE YEAR.
MR. PHILLIPS WORKED HIS WAY UP IN THE DISTRICT SERVING AS PRINCIPAL OF RIDGEWOOD AVENUE SCHOOL AND THE HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE BECOMING SUPERINTENDENT IN 2015, WHERE HE WORKED TIRELESSLY EVER SINCE.
UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, THE DISTRICT HAS FLOURISHED AND IS RECOGNIZED FOR THE HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION PROVIDED TO ITS STUDENTS.
HE GUIDED A DISTRICT EXPANSION INITIATIVE WITH THE REACQUISITION OF CENTRAL AVENUE SCHOOL AND THE MODERNIZATION OF FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT AND PROVIDE A CALM AND STEADY LEADERSHIP DURING THE TERRIBLE COVID PANIC.
MR. PHILIP ALSO SERVES IN OTHER EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE GLEN RIDGE ROTARY CLUB AND THE GLEN RIDGE ASSOCIATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REGULARLY MEETS WITH VARIOUS HOME AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONS.
TRULY AN AMAZING HISTORY OF ACHIEVEMENT SUPERINTENDENT.
ALL OF US HERE AT THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOU DO FOR GLEN RIDGE STUDENTS AND FAMILY.
THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS HEREBY CONGRATULATES AND COMMEND YOU FOR BEING NAMED 2023 SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR.
SO LET'S GIVE THE SUPERINTENDENT A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND HOPEFULLY YOU WILL NOW SAY A FEW WORDS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR INVITING ME TO THIS BEAUTIFUL SPACE.
I DON'T THINK I WOULD EVER EXPERIENCE THIS OTHERWISE, AND IT'S GORGEOUS IN HERE.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOU DON'T TAKE THIS FOR GRANTED EVERY TIME YOU WALK IN HERE.
UM, UH, AND THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
IT'S AN HONOR TO REPRESENT THE ESSEX COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT ASSOCIATION.
UH, THE GROUP OF SUPERINTENDENTS IN THIS COUNTY ARE AN OUTSTANDING, DEDICATED, UH, INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND, AND IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO BE HERE, UM, AND, AND TO BE A PART OF THAT ASSOCIATION.
UH, AS SUPERINTENDENTS, WE FACE CHALLENGES, SOME OF THEM GLOBALLY, SUCH AS, UH, STUDENT, UH, WELLNESS, UH, SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS FUNDING, BUT OTHER TIMES THEY'RE MORE LOCAL CHALLENGES.
UM, AND I'M FORTUNATE THAT I WORK IN A DISTRICT THAT IS SUPPORTIVE, UM, AND IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS I'VE BEEN THERE FOR 29 YEARS IN GLENRIDGE.
UM, I I I LOVE WHAT WE DO, UM, IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, AND, AND JUST TODAY, I, I, UH, WAS NOTIFIED THAT WE RECEIVED A,
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A, A, A SPECIAL AWARD FROM THE COLLEGE BOARDS THAT WE WERE ONE OUT OF, UH, 225 HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE NATION TO GET RECOGNIZED FOR, UH, FEMALE DIVERSITY WITH THE AP COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE.SO, UM, IT WAS A, A SURPRISE IN SOME WAYS 'CAUSE I DIDN'T, I WASN'T EVEN AWARE OF THE AWARD, BUT IN OTHER WAYS, UM, IT IT JUST SHOWS THE TYPE OF WORK WE ARE DOING IN GLEN RIDGE.
UM, AS FAR AS AS THE SUPERINTENDENTS, AS I WAS MENTIONING, WE ALL HAVE CHALLENGES.
UM, AND, AND AS A GROUP, WE WORK TOGETHER TO, TO HELP PROVIDE, UM, JUST OUTSTANDING, UM, LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR THE STUDENTS IN ESSEX COUNTY.
UM, WE AS SUPERINTENDENTS, WE SHARE A PASSION OF EDUCATION.
WE SHARE A PASSION OF THE YOUTH.
UM, AS, AS A GROUP WE CONSULT WITH EACH OTHER.
WE DO WHAT WE CAN TO PROVIDE THOSE, UH, LEARNING EXPERIENCES.
UH, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION, UM, OUR COUNTY LEADER, UH, OUR COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT ZARO, WHOSE GUIDANCE, UM, AND LEADERSHIP IS APPRECIATED BY EVERYONE, UH, IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND ALL THE INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING LENNY WHO WORK IN IN THE COUNTY OFFICE.
UM, AND I LASTLY I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, MY SUCCESS IS REALLY NOT MY SUCCESS.
IT'S, IT'S A SUCCESS OF THE, THE GLENRIDGE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
IT'S THE TEACHERS, IT'S THE ADMINISTRATORS, IT'S THE SUPPORT STAFF.
UM, IT'S THE COMMUNITY THAT MAKES THAT A SPECIAL DISTRICT AND, AND HELPS ME, UH, ACHIEVE WHAT I'M ABLE TO ACHIEVE.
SO, AGAIN, I, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF, OF THE COUNTY SCHOOLS AND, AND, UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR RECOGNITION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND WORDS.
JUST AS AN ADDED, UH, SOME ADDED INFORMATION, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS IN MY HOMETOWN OF LIVINGSTON IS A FORMER STUDENT OF MINE,
I'D LIKE TO, UH, UH, RECOGNIZE DEBORAH DAVIS FORD, WHO WORKED SO HARD PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
AND ALSO, UH, UM, ADAM TUCKER, WHO, WHO WORKED SO HARD ALSO ON PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION COMMISSIONER.
COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT TO SHAMIE COOPER JUST WALKED IN.
SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE YOU WALK IN.
I WAS BEING LIKE SPIDER-MAN, YOU KNOW, JUST NOT ME.
AND BEFORE YOU CONCLUDE, PAT, IF I COULD JUST TAKE A MOMENT OF PRIVILEGE, UM, TO PUT ON THE RECORD.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS, BUT YOU KNOW, IN A TIME WHERE EDUCATION, PUBLIC EDUCATION IS PROBABLY AT THE FOREFRONT, UM, WE REALLY LOOK TO OUR SCHOOL LEADERS HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY.
YOU KNOW, AS DIRK, YOU SAID WHEN YOU WALKED IN HERE, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL ROOM THIS IS.
AND I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, UM, ARE HOSTING ME FOR THIS HONOR.
WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THE ONE OF THE COMMUNITIES.
THAT'S A PILLAR HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY.
UH, WHILE YOU DESERVE, UH, TO RIDE OFF INTO THE SUNSET AND RETIRE AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE, WE HOPE THAT WHATEVER YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY STILL REVOLVE AROUND PEDAGOGY AND STUDENTS AND HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY.
UM, AND THAT BEING SAID, IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE MYSELF, PERSONALLY, TO WORK WITH YOU ALONG WITH OUR COUNTY OFFICE.
AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER SIEBEL JUST MENTIONED LIVINGSTON.
THAT GROUP IN LIVINGSTON HAS ALSO REALLY APPRECIATED, UH, SUPERINTENDENT PHILLIPS.
HE'S THE LEADER AMONGST LEADERS.
AND IF THERE'S ANY SUPERINTENDENT OUT THERE IN ESSEX COUNTY THAT YOU SPEAK TO, THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP, UM, OF SUPERINTENDENT PHILLIPS HAS REALLY BEEN GREAT BECAUSE THEY ALL ADVOCATE FOR THE SAME THING.
AND THEY TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT ARE REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY AND MAKING SURE THAT THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE A NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY, LET'S FACE IT, EVERYONE'S LOOKING FOR THE SAME NEEDS AND HAS THE SAME STRUGGLES.
UM, WE WISH YOU THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
I KNOW THE SCHOOL YEAR'S NOT OVER YET, SO YOU'RE NOT OUT OF THE SADDLE YET.
UM, ENJOY, UH, THE SPRINGTIME AND, AND YOUR LAST FEW MONTHS AND KNOW THAT YOU ALSO HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS HERE THAT WILL SUPPORT YOU IF, UH, YOU SO DETERMINED THAT YOU ARE STILL INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF THE TEAM.
AND THEN I'LL TAKE A PICTURE AND THEN THE REST OF YOU CAN COME UP AND JOIN US.
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ARE YOU?