Washington Township Board of Education Approves Leadership Recommendations at Elementary, Secondary Levels
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP – The Washington Township Board of Education approved permanent leadership changes at three elementary schools, a new principal at the middle level, and a new director of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the board’s work session on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The moves include:
Elementary Level:
- Veteran educator and longtime District principal Ginny Grier has been named the new principal at Wedgwood Elementary School. Grier has spent the last nine years as principal at Bells Elementary School.
- Longtime District teacher, supervisor, and leader Tricia Holmes has been named new principal at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, replacing Gary Breen, who is retiring at the end of this month. Holmes has been principal at Birches Elementary School since March 2022.
- Samantha Dulude was named the full-time principal at Whitman Elementary School. She has been in the position on an interim basis since December 2022, when former principal Ray Anderson took over as executive principal at Washington Township High School.
“We are excited about these shifts in leadership as we feel we have aligned the strengths of each leader with the unique needs of each school and school community,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Eric Hibbs said. “We have made it a priority to listen to our staff and our community to identify opportunities for growth and development in each school, and we selected leaders whose skills, knowledge, and expertise would best support and enhance the specific initiatives of each school community.”
Secondary Level:
- Former District teacher and supervisor Kayla Berry was selected as principal at Orchard Valley Middle School, taking over for interim leader A’ndrea Bair. Berry has been supervisor of world languages, ELS, and family and consumer science since July 2021.
District Level:
- Dr. Steve Gregor was appointed the District’s director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), replacing Dr. Janelle Alexander. Dr. Gregor was previously the District’s director of secondary education and is a longtime administrator in Washington Township.
The District is currently in the process of selecting new principals at Bells and Birches Elementary. In the interim, Jessica Rose will serve as interim principal at Birches, where she was the leader until her retirement in 2022. At Bells, Grier will maintain administrative coverage until a new principal is hired.
“An immense amount of time and effort has been dedicated to seeking and interviewing the most qualified leaders to fill school leadership vacancies in our District,” Dr. Hibbs said. “Our hiring committees have examined various staff in a multitude of positions, and our interview process has been comprehensive and extensive to ensure we are carefully selecting the best candidates possible. Leadership is so important to the success of students and staff, so we are committed to investing the time and resources in selecting the most knowledgeable, supportive, and student-driven candidates we can find.”
Ginny Grier has been principal at Bells School since 2014. She started her career as a teacher at Bells in 1989 and has been with the District ever since. Upon Breen’s retirement, she will become Washington Township’s longest-tenured elementary principal. Grier earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a certification in gerontology from Richard Stockton College. She later completed her teaching certification at Rowan University and her master's degree in educational leadership from Wilmington University.
Prior to being appointed principal at Birches, Tricia Holmes was a supervisor in the District’s special education department from 2014-22 and a special education teacher at Washington Township High School from 1997-2014. A 1997 graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College with a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education, Holmes earned a master’s degree in learning disability from Rowan University (2005). She received a supervisory certification from Rowan in 2006 and her principal’s certificate in 2018.
Samantha Dulude has been an educator in Washington Township since September 2006. She was a transitional first-grade teacher for 10 years (2006-16), a kindergarten teacher for one year (2016-17), and a reading specialist for four years (2017-21) at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School. She was named a District elementary supervisor in February 2021 and has served stints as interim principal at both Hurffville and Whitman elementary schools. Dulude has a degree in elementary education from Richard Stockton College and a master’s in reading education from Rowan University. She earned her supervisor certificate from Thomas Edison University in June 2017 and a principal’s certification in 2022.
Kayla Berry taught German and ESL at the middle level in Washington Township from 2016-21 before being named supervisor of world language, ESL, and family and consumer science. She has experience writing middle level curricula and has collaborated with colleagues to develop Integrated Performance Assessments. A member of the District’s equity council, Berry earned a bachelor of arts degree in German from Rutgers University in 2016 and a master’s in school administration with a focus on ESL from Rowan University in 2018. Berry also holds New Jersey principal and supervisor certifications, as well as certification for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace, from the University of South Florida.
Dr. Steve Gregor has been WTPS’s director of secondary education since July 2016. Prior to that, he was principal at Orchard Valley Middle School (2013-16) and supervisor of social studies from 2004-13. He taught world and U.S. history at Washington Township High School from 1989-2004. Dr. Gregor earned a bachelor of arts in education from Valley Forge Christian College (1981) and received his master’s degree in social studies (1989) and supervisor’s certificate (1995) from Rowan University. He has principal and school administrator certificates, as well as a master’s degree in educational leadership, from Thomas Edison State College, and his doctoral degree in instructional technology and distance education from Nova Southeastern University.
- WTPS -
