New Principal Hired For Morristown High School

Former Frelinghuysen Middle School principal Mark Manning has made his temporary home as principal of Morristown High School permanent. 

At the Morris School District board of education meeting on Monday the board unanimously voted to approve, Manning who had stepped in for interim principal Ethel Minchello at Morristown High School while she was on medical leave. 

The search for a new high school principal began in October 2013. Following initial screenings of approximately 50 applications, 15 candidates were given preliminary interviews and ultimately seven were referred to a selection committee consisting of teachers, parents, administrators and Board members. 

Vice-President of the Morris School District Board of Education Dr. Peter Gallerstein said the selection committee went into the whole process very open minded, and ended up recommending a final four. From there, the choice of Manning was made.

Superintendent Thomas Ficarra said the former Frelinghuysen front man was the right person for the job. 

"He is a thoughtful collaborator and he has a warmth," Ficarra said. "When you walk the halls with him you would be amazed how many students he knows by name. And when you do walk the halls with him it is hard to get very far with him before he is stopping and speaking to a student."

Ficarra said Manning brings not only the administrative experience, but he brings a thoughtfulness, and thinks and acts appropriately, which caused him to stand out from the other candidates. 

“Although each of the candidates referred to me was highly qualified, Mark’s strong administrative and management skills, extensive knowledge of curriculum, and ability to bring people together to move forward set him apart,” said Superintendent Thomas Ficarra. “Mark is a gifted educational leader who has earned the respect of colleagues, students, and parents. I am confident Morristown High School will continue to thrive under his leadership.”
 
Manning now replaces Minchello was named interim principal while the district looked for a permanent replacement for Linda Murphy, who was previously reassigned. Minchello took a medical leave of absence in Dec. and resigned effective Jan. 31.  

Now the district shifts its focus on finding a new principal for Frelinghuysen. During the shuffle, the hole at Frelinghuysen was filled by David Thompson.

"We are going to have to star that process all over to replace the middle school principal," Ficarra said. "We will be advertising and setting up interviews again and going through the entire process."

A graduate of Boston College, Manning received a Master of Arts in Teaching from Rutgers University and joined the Morris School District as a high school social studies teacher in 2001. Appointed supervisor of instruction in 2005, Manning was named principal of Frelinghuysen Middle School in 2012.

He and his wife reside in Morristown and are the parents of three children, a daughter who graduated from Morristown High School in 2012 and two sons 
currently enrolled in District schools.