Lauded superintendent adds another title

Glen Ridge Superintendent of Schools Dirk Phillips has been recognized as the 2023 Essex County Superintendent of the Year by the Essex County Association of School Administrators. His achievement was recognized by the Glen Ridge Board of Education at its Sept. 12 meeting.

Born and bred in Ohio, Phillips was a mathematics teacher in East Orange and then at Glen Ridge High School where he was recognized as a teacher of the year and became department chairman.

Having wrestled at the high school and college levels, he was the GRHS wrestling coach and coach of the year. The high school yearbook was once dedicated to him, which he said was “extremely meaningful.”

He served as principal at Ridgewood Avenue School and GRHS. For a superintendent, he said it was important to have experience as a classroom teacher and building administrator. A superintendent should also be involved in school organizations and projects, he said.

“If you look at the foundation of a school system, it’s the classroom,” he recently told The Glen Ridge Paper in his office. “A superintendent should be a part of that to experience the expectations of the students.”

He has been superintendent for eight years.

“When I first became superintendent, I found out shortly afterwards that the district wanted to acquire Central,” he said.

The district obtained the Central School building which had been a bank but before that a Glen Ridge school building. Phillips said first thing after starting as superintendent, the district had to pass a referendum to buy the bank building.

“That led to two straight years of construction and the opening of the school,” he said. “I served as onsite administrator for the school, too. We didn’t have enough of a full population at Central to justify a full-time building administrator. And that led us into the pandemic. I thought as a district we handled it very well.”

Phillips said thinking back about the pandemic, he looked for positive outcomes and found them.

“The teachers all improved their tech skills,” he said. “We’re also using more tech for parent meetings. And I think it helped with security not having individuals in the building for a time. It helped improve security practices. Prior to the pandemic, parents thought they could just come into a school. The pandemic helped establish new protocols. I also think it brought our nurses together working as a unit.”

Phillips said academically the district did not suffer as much as other districts.

“But socially, being closed for so long has been an impact we’re still trying to get students adjusted with their social skills. We’ve been conducting more emotional and social activities the last couple of years. We’ve put programs in place where the students can identify their feelings and how best to handle them and how to better interact with their peers in a structured setting.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, he said he knew things were going to be bad and closed the schools even before Trenton mandated it.

“We knew there’d be difficulties socially, but we were limited in what could be done because of guidelines,” he said. “A lot of student success in clubs was lost. It was an extreme for those students.”

Phillips grew up in a working-class family with three siblings and said the main influences in his life were his parents.

“A lot of midwestern traits are embedded in me,” he said.

His father was a teacher for a few years, but had to give it up because of the pay. It was not enough to raise a family. Phillips said his wife, Lisa, is a teacher.

“Discussing education with her is part of my evolution as an educator,” he said.

They have three children.

He reads mystery novels, but when younger preferred biographies.

“I’m getting into historical novels now,” he said.

Phillips is the president of Essex County School Administrators and a member of the Glen Ridge Rotary Club. He serves in other educational and community organizations and regularly meets with various home and school associations. He is also a member of GRASE, the Glen Ridge Association of Special Education.

“And I try to attend as many athletic events as I can,” he said.

He is proud that a high percentage of Glen Ridge students are taking advanced placement courses and he noted that the district added a kindergarten class last year, a first grade class this year and hopefully a second grade class next year.

“I think what’s most important is our focus on students,” he said. “Your decisions always impact the student. Also, what’s important is an open relationship with the school community, parents, staff and administrators and the desire to move the district forward.”

  Gen Ridge, superintendent