Neshaminy’s New Superintendent Wants To Define District’s Mission

Joseph Jones III, the new superintendent of the Neshaminy School District, doesn’t just look at issues revolving around schools from the vantage point of a skilled educator and administrator, he also looks at them using his real world experience as a father of four sons.

“Being a parent has imprinted me as an educator … having those experiences as a parent influences how a school, to me, should operate,” Jones said in a recent sit down interview with LevittownNow.com.

While Jones just started his job leading the close to 1,000 district employees and 8,400 students, he knows that his overall goal is to “empower students to become productive citizens.”

Using his skills as an educator, administrator and parents will be important for Jones as he embarks on his journey leading the district. One of his first goals is to establish a district blueprint.

Two of Jones’ biggest questions going into creating a blueprint for the district: “What’s the mission and how is that going to drive the school system?”

“The blueprint will shape Neshaminy as a school system. We need to look at our mission and see how the budget figures in while being respectful of taxpayers,” he said. “We also need to bring the community members to the table.”

Jones said he plans to use an administrative retreat to talk about the district’s mission and its goals. He said he will use the feedback  as  a “driver for the organization.”

The 52-year-old superintendent comes to Neshaminy after leading the 1,500-student Woodbury City Public Schools Gloucester County, New Jersey. Before his last job, he served as assistant superintendent of the 1,900-student Northern Burlington County, New Jersey Regional School District.

Despite jumping from smaller school systems to the larger Neshaminy School District, Jones said that nearly all school districts have “identical expectations.” He also noted he had previously worked as an assistant principal in a district similar in size to Neshaminy.

“We all have common challenges in education and finances while respecting the taxpayers,” he said of all school systems.

Jones comes to Neshaminy in the middle of a contract impasse where both sides will be going through a state-appointed independent fact-finder to try to settle their disagreements. The superintendent said both sides agreed to go through a fact-finder in an effort to settle the contract.

In addition, Jones comes to the district after two schools have been closed and the new Tawanka Elementary School opens in Lower Southampton. He said the consolidation decisions were made by the board and community.

“I’m confident that the schools and the community will thrive,” Jones said, adding that each school has its own individual community that is part of Neshaminy’s overarching mission to educate students.

“We want parents to recognize the value of selecting Neshaminy as their school option,” he said. “We need to be at a place where parents say that is a cutting edge place for students.”

Jones spoke on the topic of charter schools and whether he thinks they would be a good fit for the Neshaminy community. He told LevittownNow.com he “believes public schools need to be the best option for all students.” He noted that the decision on a charter school coming into the district would ultimately be made by the elected school board.

In his years in the education field and the advancement of his career, Jones said he is using a business mindset more than ever. The superintendent, who considers himself someone that looks at overall strategy, said the district has to look at revenue sources, where its money goes and the effectiveness of the money spent. At Neshaminy, Jones pointed to the leased buildings as sources of new revenue.

Focusing so much attention on standardized testing is also a topic Jones talked about. He said Neshaminy should afford students “rich opportunities for kids that benefit them in life and in the classroom.”

“We need to find out what it means to be a learner today,” he said. “There’s so many different ways to learn. We have to break out of some classroom traditions.”

The superintendent also cautions judging teachers and their abilities solely on test results which  can be complicated and not paint a complete picture.

Over the next several months, Jones wants to get to know the staff, students, community and operations of the district better, noting that each person involved in education plays an important role in the district. He also wants to work with his staff to even further improve communications between parents and students, which saw a boost in recent years when the district hired Community Relations Coordinator Chris Stanley.

Neshaminy’s 1-1 technology initiative in the middle schools and the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) programs are points where Jones has been impressed. He said he wants to increase the student iPad program and look at switching to less-expensive but more equipped Google Chromebooks for other students.

While Jones, who was raised in Northeast Philadelphia before moving to South Jersey with his wife, doesn’t currently live in the district, he said its something he will consider once his youngest son graduates high school in a few years.

Jones said his 30-year career in education comes from a family tradition of working to shape the minds of the next generation. Three out of four of his siblings are in the education field and his father was a longtime teacher.

“That’s how I got into education – my father. I grew up and he was a teacher. It was simple exposure,” Jones said.

Jones’ contract with the district runs through June 30, 2020 and will pay him $182,000 per year.