On Wednesday, November 1, The Hawkeye held a press conference with Superintendent Dr. Aldarelli in the JP Stevens library. The aroma of freshly-brewed coffee and warm bagels created a welcoming environment for the new Superintendent to share his vision for JP and Edison as a whole. 

Dr. Aldarelli started his career in education as a second grade teacher more than twenty-five years ago. He continued on to teaching seventh grade social studies, and then eventually became a principal in Freehold Township. These experiences helped Dr. Aldarelli realize what an important role classroom instruction has on the lives of young students. A firm believer in “affecting change” in school systems, Dr. Aldarelli’s impetus for throwing his hat in the ring for Superintendent was the desire to empower students to reach their full potential.

“You can’t really affect change if you don’t know what’s going on where the rubber meets the road,” said Dr. Aldarelli. “The more I’m in schools, the better understanding I have of where we need to focus our efforts.”

The Superintendent fondly recalled starting in the Edison Township School District as the Director of Human Resources on October 5, 2020—an impactful day that would guide his career for years to come. He especially drew comfort from the welcoming school community of Edison during the unfortunate times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, he finds himself greeting students and staff as he travels from one school to another, managing school construction projects, and weighing in on BOE meetings. While all of these day-to-day responsibilities are fulfilling, the best part of Dr. Aldarelli’s day is seeing the smiles on students’ faces when they understand a topic in class. Experiences like this make being Superintendent incredibly rewarding.

“I can tell you right now, being greeted by this group, meeting with your teachers, saying hello to people in the hallway, seeing the smiles on everybody’s faces––that’s easily the best part of being in charge of such a large organization,” said Dr. Aldarelli.

As Superintendent, Dr. Aldarelli envisions working with students, staff, and parents to formulate long-range strategic plans for improving JP. One such initiative is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, which is a student-based organization that promotes inclusivity and acceptance for all students across Edison schools. Dr. Aldarelli hopes to embed diversity into the curriculum, celebrating the various cultures that compose the Edison community. 

With this goal in mind, Dr. Aldarelli is excited to enhance the physical facilities of schools, especially JP, to enable students with the resources to obtain as successful and fulfilling an education as possible. Adequate learning space is crucial to obtaining a high-level education, and while JP has seen recent additions in the forms of AC and new screens in the cafeteria, Dr. Aldarelli is continuing to seek new ways to introduce modifications to the school. He plans to focus on enrollment data trends to determine possible areas of improvement in physical facilities, thereby opening the door for future growth and change as a school. Accommodations and modifications to the building––such as additional classrooms or a renovated auditorium––will also be made. 

Together, with Dr. Aldarelli’s vision for our school and our town, we can strive for success as a united whole. We look forward to a future made bright by improved facilities, and cannot wait to see the positive change that Dr. Aldarelli will bring to Edison Public Schools. His enthusiasm in the work that he does is reflected in a favorite song of his, “Hungry Hearts” by Bruce Springsteen—which, as it happens, was introduced to him in his second grade music classroom and continued to have an impact on him for years to come. Just like how these lyrics profess that “ain’t nobody likes to be alone,” through Dr. Aldarelli’s guidance and encouragement, we will grow together not only as a student body, but also as one Edison.