The South Orange Maplewood Board of Education has put Superintendent of Schools Ronald Taylor on leave and will not renew his contract.
“On behalf of the Board of Education, I want to thank Dr. Ronald Taylor for his service to our District and I wish him well on his future endeavors,” Board of Education President Kaitlin Wittleder said in a statement issued Monday afternoon.
Taylor was placed on administrative leave until June of next year when his contract is due to expire. Kevin Gilbert was named acting superintendent in the interim.
The district has been dealing with several issues over the past few months, including bussing problems, a vote of no confidence in the superintendent from the teacher’s union, concerns about a plan to eliminate honors classes and a decision to cancel all Halloween activities in district schools.
“The South Orange – Maplewood School District has a lot of work to do to repair the relationship between District leadership and our educators,” Wittleder said. “Now is the time to rebuild trust and improve communications with our District families and students. The promise of a school District that serves every student has never been brighter and to achieve our shared goals, we must all come together to support one another with the collective vision of always putting our students first.”
Taylor came to the district in August of 2019 after serving as superintendent in Willingboro for eight years and as a regional superintendent in Newark before that. He wrote a letter to district parents on Friday before the Board of Education took action at a special meeting called to discuss the situation.
“But despite the common ground we share, the climate within the District has become divisive. Recently, there has been more fighting among us than fighting for what is right. There has been more destructive misinformation than constructive conversations. There have been more efforts made in service to agendas than in service to our students and families. There has been more talking and criticizing than listening and creating,” Taylor said.
He went on to tout the work of the Senior Leadership Team.
“They are a dedicated and dynamic group of professionals who truly represent the vision we discussed when the Board of Education set the District Goal of a new Central Office organization,” Taylor wrote. “They faithfully, and sometimes thanklessly, serve the District’s students, families, and staff. It is my hope that all of us – families, staff, teachers, and administrators – can learn to work as collaboratively as the Senior Leadership Team. In order to do that, we must begin anew starting from the empirical truth. As I often say during our Board of Education meetings, ‘I want to ensure we all leave with the same information.’
That is why I am providing with this letter, responses to the allegations made in the SOMEA leadership’s no confidence resolution. Let the record be set straight and may we move forward with our shared goal in support of our students’ academic and social-emotional best interests.”
Wittleder, in her statement, thanked Gilbert for taking the acting superintendent post. Gilbert has been the district’s assistant superintendent for access and equity.
“Dr. Gilbert has already reached out to connect with me directly to schedule our first meeting and his enthusiasm and commitment toward collaboration with all District stakeholders is extremely encouraging to the Board,” Wittleder said. “The Board will work hard to support Dr. Gilbert through this transition and we will make sure that we understand what his needs are as we move forward together.”
Gilbert was hired by the district in March of 2022. He had been the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion for the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) in Howard County, Maryland.
He has been in education for 25 years and has been a social studies teacher, vice principal and coach of basketball, football and track.
He has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi.
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