MANCHESTER – One local school official has received high honors, qualifying him for a chance to receive statewide recognition.
Manchester Township School District Superintendent, David Trethaway, has been named the 2019 Regional Superintendent of the Year for Region III, South Jersey. Trethaway was selected, alongside two others for Regions I and II, by the New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA).
In Region I, NJASA named Mackey Pendergrast of Morris School District and, in Regiona II, David Aderhold of West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District.
As our regional superintendent, Trethaway will be up against Pendergrast and Aderhold to be named NJASA’s NJ Superintendent of the Year in the American Association of School Administrators’ 33rd National Superintendent of the Year Award. This award honors the extraordinary contributions of the nation’s leaders in public education.
“I am grateful to my colleagues for selecting me for this honor and working with such excellent administrators it is truly a humbling experience,” said Trethaway.
Trethaway began his career in education as a math teacher after graduating from Wilkes University. He then spent the next 25 years serving as teacher, coach, supervisor, vice principal and acting principal in Jackson Township. From there he moved into another Ocean County district, becoming Assistant Superintendent at the Central Regional School District in 2000. He was appointed as Superintendent of Schools the following year.
[adrotate banner="278"]In 2008, he was appointed Superintendent in Manchester, where he has spent the last 11 years. Trethaway has served on numerous committees, boards and panels in a variety of areas including curriculum, instruction, school funding, security and legislation.
In addition, Trethaway is the Ocean County representative on the Executive Committee of NJASA.
“Any recognition given to a superintendent is really a recognition of the school district and their achievements and is a result of working with outstanding leadership from administrators, professional and caring teaching and support staff, committed and hardworking parents and students, a supportive community and a dedicated board of education. I am very fortunate to be a superintendent in a school district that has all of these positive things in place,” he added.
Trethaway was first named Ocean County Superintendent of the Year back in June by his peers in the Ocean County Association of School Administrators.
Trethaway was chosen by the NJASA as the Regional Superintendent of the Year based on “a number of leadership criteria, including meeting the needs of all students, strength in personal and organizational communication, a commitment to professional development and growth, and active community involvement,” according to the district.
Part of the lengthy application process included a video submission in which Trethaway detailed some of the Manchester District’s major accomplishments, including:
- Welcoming Lakehurst students and staff to Manchester schools last fall when their building was overcome with mold
- Implementing block scheduling at the high school
- Being named to the AP District Honor Roll for improving student participation in AP courses
- Offering dual credit with Ocean County College
- Implementing technology improvements that put devices in the hands of all students;
- Making various improvements in school security
[adrotate banner="277"]Trethaway was formally announced as Regional Superintendent of the Year at the NJASA’s Executive Committee meeting in Trenton on September 19. The three finalists will be introduced at the upcoming NJ School Boards Association Workshop in Atlantic City at the end of October.
The State Superintendent of the Year will be selected by a committee of NJASA Past Presidents and former Regional Superintendents of the Year by Nov. 1, 2019.
