The Lady in the Library: Our New Chief Academic Officer
January 27, 2019
Conference Room C. Most know it as the small area tucked away next to Mr. Stafford’s office. Little did you know, this quaint room is the office of one of the most high-ranking women in the school district. As part of the Haddonfield Borough School District Leadership Team, Dr. Colleen Murray works directly under Superintendent Dr. Mussoline and alongside some more familiar faces like Mr. Klaus and Dr. Priolo. Dr. Murray is the District’s Chief Academic Officer. Wondering what this means? So was I. I got the chance to interview Mrs. Murray in December to get to know the new addition to the District Leadership Team.
As Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Murray coordinates professional development activities with teachers and coordinates curriculum design with the Board of Education Curriculum Committee. She also meets with board directors from other school districts, union representatives, college professors, and teachers from all over our district. She also hopes to eventually communicate with students as well, commenting that “we cannot have a successful curriculum without student input.”
Dr. Murray previously taught junior year history at Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, NJ. She loves to write and even wrote a book proposal. Dr. Murray majored in American History at the University of Pennsylvania. It was there where one of her professors inspired her to go into the teaching field. After her undergraduate graduation, Murray returned to Penn to attend their Graduate School of Education. She later received her doctorate from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. Dr. Murray became a Google Certified Administrator after she administered a project with her 11th grade students where they created a problem based e-Portfolio of World War II.
Dr. Murray expressed her immense gratitude for the job: “I am so grateful to the people of Haddonfield for this opportunity. I am so happy to have this position in this district. Everyone here cares so much about learning and the staff cares so deeply about the students. It is such a wonderful environment to be able to work in.”
