N.J. Official Chosen as Alexandria Schools Chief

By Theresa Vargas
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 3, 2008; B01

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."

William Symons Jr., the interim superintendent, said that there will be challenges ahead for the new chief but that they are no different than those found nationally.

"He's going to have a good time with this position, because it's going to fit what he expects, which is an opportunity to make a difference with students," Symons said.

Tenafly, in northern New Jersey, has about 3,500 students spread across six schools, compared with Alexandria's 10,600 students in 17. It is also less diverse than Alexandria, with about 65 percent of Tenafly students listed as white and nearly 30 percent Asian American. In Alexandria, about 40 percent of students are black, about 25 percent are Hispanic and 25 percent white.

Cherry Hill is slightly larger than Alexandria, with about 1,000 more students. More than 70 percent of Cherry Hill students are white and about 15 percent Asian American, 8 percent African American and 6 percent Hispanic.

In the media, Sherman has been described as "forward thinking, "outside the box" and "controversial." In the high-performing Tenafly schools, he speaks to students directly through video e-mails. At Cherry Hill, he was successful in narrowing achievement gaps but drew some criticism for starting the college-level International Baccalaureate program, which opponents argued cost too much and benefited too few. He also made headlines in 2005 for refusing to accept his $20,000 annual bonus after the defeat of a proposed school budget.

Last year, he appeared on television on "The Montel Williams Show" for an episode on bullying. Sherman told how a scribbled threat appeared on a Tenafly school door after the Virginia Tech shootings.

"The whole issue of depression, mental health, bullying, I think are all connected," Sherman said on the show. "It's the 1,000th slice. It's the final cut that pushed the kid over the edge. . . . There needs to be a cultural shift of we're not going to accept that kind of language. We're not going to accept that kind of behavior."

Arthur Schmaltz, an Alexandria parent and a member of the superintendent search advisory committee, said there is a general "good feeling" about the board's pick.

"It sounds like the entire board is acting with one voice," he said. "I hope that the relationship with the board is a very positive one going forward."