SUMMIT, NJ — The Summit Board of Education welcomed Crystal Marr as the director of Student Personnel Services for Summit Public Schools at the Board of Education meeting on Thursday, July 22. After several rounds of rigorous interviews, Marr was the unanimous choice for the new position by the district’s interview committee, consisting of central office administrators, principals, supervisors and teachers. The committee identified exceptional professional and personal qualities from Marr, including her energy and passion to serve every student, her experience and knowledge in support services, and her diverse background in school administration.
In this new role, Marr will be responsible for student support services, such as English as a second language, Intervention and Referral Services, and basic skills. She will also spend time in the classroom conducting teacher observations, in accordance with the district’s evaluation standards. Marr will oversee the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion programming and professional development, in accordance with New Jersey Student Learning Assessments standards. In addition, she will serve as the Homeless and Community liaison to the various interest groups in Summit.
“We are excited to welcome Crystal as part of the administrative team,” said Superintendent Scott Hough. “She exudes passion and excitement to really make a difference on behalf of all our students. We are eager to collaborate with her on very important topics and look forward to the positive impact she is going to have on our school community as a whole.”
The majority of Marr’s work in her 14 years in education has been with schools in underserved communities, where she focused on improving academic achievement through data-driven interventions, training staff in cultural competency, creating a culture of high expectations for all students, and bringing relevant and rigorous learning materials to the forefront of instruction. In addition to her six years of experience as an assistant principal, her career track includes serving on leadership committees where she was tasked with creating and implementing professional development strategies on multiple campuses to increase instructional capacity.
“I am honored and humbled to join this team of dedicated, passionate educators at Summit Public Schools,” said Marr, who starts in her new position on Monday, Aug. 9. “I look forward to collaborating with the school board, staff, students, families and community members to continue to grow and develop systems in service of ensuring an enriching and equitable educational experience for all Summit students.”