TRENTON — At today’s monthly meeting in Trenton, the State Board of Education honored Mark Raivetz of Haddon Township — New Jersey’s superintendent of the year. The New Jersey Association of School Administrators awarded the top honor for schools chiefs to Raivetz in late October. Raivetz began serving Haddon Township in 1999 and has three decades of education experience....
Street view of Haddon Township High School. Haddon Township Superintendent Mark Raivetz was honored today as the superintendent of the year by the Department of Education. TRENTON — At today’s monthly meeting in Trenton, the State Board of Education honored Mark Raivetz of Haddon Township — New Jersey’s superintendent of the year.
The New Jersey Association of School Administrators awarded the top honor for schools chiefs to Raivetz in late October. Raivetz began serving Haddon Township in 1999 and has three decades of education experience.
Raivetz was “as surprised as anybody” about the recognition, which comes in a year that “has not been the best for superintendents in New Jersey,” he said speaking of the governor’s intention to cap superintendents’ salaries based on district size starting in February.
Though the pay cap was not a deciding factor in Raivetz’s decision to retire after 13 years of service to Haddon Township when his current contract is up in 2012, he said he might have considered contract renewal, were the cap not in place.
“As supers, the quality of our work is now less important than the number of kids in our district,” Raivetz said. “We are doing a job we love and not getting the kinds of support we would like to have.”
NJASA Executive Director Richard Bozza described Raivetz as the type of superintendent that “moves education forward for the students of New Jersey,” someone who made “student curriculum and non-curriculum opportunities … his number one priority.”
But Bozza said many other experienced, high quality superintendents like Raivetz are also considering retirement upon the completion of their current contracts.
“Folks nearing retirement are dismayed.” Bozza said of the caps. “It’s causing younger folks to question ‘Do I want to do this?’ and why would I give up a principal position for less compensation for my family with greater challenges?”
Previous coverage:
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• Parsippany school board votes to back schools superintendent contract
• Hoboken follows Parsippany in plan to sue N.J. over superintendent contract
• Hoboken Board of Education to sue NJ, deadlocked on new superintendent's contract by salary cap