N.J. Official Chosen as Alexandria Schools Chief

The Alexandria school system, which changed the locks at the central office in January just minutes after its last superintendent ended her turbulent tenure, is opening the doors for a new chief.

Last night, the Alexandria School Board voted unanimously to hire veteran administrator Morton Sherman as superintendent of the 10,600-student system.

The board's united support for Sherman, 58, who is superintendent of schools in Tenafly, N.J., contrasted with the divisiveness that emerged during the tenure of former Alexandria superintendent Rebecca L. Perry.

"I'm extremely proud of the board. The board has undergone a very, very tough two years," said Claire M. Eberwein, head of the School Board. "I think the board pulled together in a strong and cohesive manner, and we're moving ahead for the kids and for the sake of the school system in a very positive fashion."

The board interviewed several impressive candidates, Eberwein said.

"But Dr. Sherman just had the edge over the other candidates with regard to seeming to be the best fit for Alexandria," Eberwein said. "I think it was the innovation he had brought to other systems and the sense of the board that he can take us far beyond where we are right now."

Sherman, who has been superintendent in Tenafly since December 2005, headed schools in Cherry Hill, N.J., for eight years. Published reports indicate that he has a reputation for steering straight into issues, including the controversial, rather than veering carefully around them.

Sherman said yesterday in a telephone interview that he is "thrilled" to be coming to Alexandria's school system, with its many achievements and some challenges.

"I truly believe that Alexandria can be a model of success for the rest of the country," he said.

He said his decision was not swayed by the previous superintendent's experience. Perry, who had been at odds with the board since her 2004 arrest on a charge of driving while intoxicated, left in January after the board ended her contract early. Tensions between Perry and some board members led many in the community to wonder whether the search for a new leader would draw quality candidates, a feeling amplified when the School Board scratched its initial search in April, firing one consulting firm and hiring another. The board did not release the names of other recent candidates, citing a confidentiality agreement.

Sherman, whose contract will run through June 2012, will be paid $250,000 a year plus benefits, which is in the range of salaries of some Washington area superintendents who run larger systems. He will start Aug. 15.

"What happened, happened. Now it's time to move on," Sherman said. "I have so much I want to do for children, I don't have time to look back and point fingers. . . . I'm not going to be dragged down and dragged back."