Wall Super's Resignation Letter

Wall Superintendent Daniel Simon released the following letter:

Just slightly over one year ago, I took a risk. After a successful decade as Principal of High Technology High School, I chose to step outside my comfort zone and bring my leadership skill set and experience to Wall Township in a central office capacity, with a greater potential scope of influence. I would like to thank the Board of Education for giving me that opportunity.

In a year full of many challenges for this community, we have continued to make progress in our schools by staying focused on providing our children with the best educational programs, resources, and opportunities and by increasing accountability for results. I appreciate the efforts of my administrative team, and the hard working faculty and staff of this district to carry out that mission.

Although I have only been part of this community for one year, I have seen tremendous strides in the culture in that short time, starting with the willingness to communicate transparently and to collaborate frequently while maintaining respect for the ideas and contributions of each and every stakeholder, even with conflicting viewpoints. Additionally, a culture of publicly recognizing individuals for their successes at every level of the educational operation has become our new ‘normal’ and contributes to the positive attitudes you find all over the district.

I chose education as a profession to make a difference in the lives of kids and have been successful in doing so for over 20 years in every role I have ever played, primarily by building relationships with the children and their parents. I knew I would miss contact time with kids when I took this position, but never anticipated just how much. Interacting with our Wall students by participating in charity events, attending artistic and athletic events and awards ceremonies has been awesome. After many of these events early this year, I began to realize just how much I missed being with kids all day long, knowing them by name, cheering them on during the good times, and helping them through the rough times. Even carving out time to visit the schools twice a month to walk the halls didn’t fill that void for me. The clarifying moment for me was a few weeks back when my wife and I drove up to Cornell University and back within a 24 hour period to see a former student’s final (Senior) performance with his acapella men’s group. I was invited by this student (a Wall resident, by the way) and his mother to attend a few months back and I knew I couldn’t miss it. You see, he lost his father while he was a Junior at High Tech and he looked to me as a male role model and we have maintained a close relationship ever since. I realized then that I can never make that kind of an impact on a student again in the capacity I currently serve.

No matter where you go, the Superintendency is more about the ‘business of education’ and the ‘politics of education’. It’s just the nature of the position. What I have learned over the past year is that I am best suited for the ‘practice of education’. It is for that reason that I have decided to return to my first love … kids. On Monday evening (5/13/13), I was approved by the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education to become the next Principal of Colts Neck High School and, as a result, I have submitted my letter of resignation to Mrs. Applegate, effective June 30th, pending Board approval.

I thank you all for your support throughout the year. Wall Township is a great community filled with quality people, and I wish you all nothing but my heartfelt best.