A familiar face returns to city's public schools

By Chris Sykes, Staff Writer
Last week, the Orange School District celebrated the opening of the expanded Park Avenue school and gave parents a chance to meet its new superintendent, Ronald C. Lee.
The school has been open since classes started in September, but the Sept. 24 event was more like an inauguration for the building. The same could be said for Lee, even though he is known to many in the district from his earlier stint as the business administrator.
“Mr. Lee and I go way back to when we were in the Colgate Building working together,” said Gloria Stewart, a community leader and education advocate who attends practically every Board of Education meeting, including the one when Lee was first introduced. “I have a few reservations about his hiring, but I’m going to keep an open mind. I agree with some of the things he said about ‘taking the handcuffs’ off our principals and other administrators so they can do the job of educating our children.”
Despite her reservations, Stewart said she believes Lee will do a good job.
“Looking back to the interviews that the board did with the help of the New Jersey School Board Association, I was impressed that he came in and talked with people directly about who he is and what he wants to do,” said Stewart. “Based on how he introduced himself to us at the meeting, I can see that he plans to continue in that direction. I think it’s a good thing.”

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