Paterson Board of Education hires new deputy schools superintendent

PATERSON — A Maryland educator credited with turning around struggling schools in Baltimore and Prince George’s County has been hired as Paterson’s new deputy superintendent.

Rodney A. Henderson will start work at his $225,000 Paterson job on Dec. 1, said the 23-page personnel report approved by the Board of Education on Wednesday night.

District officials did not immediately provide a copy of Henderson’s resume. His LinkedIn page says he has worked in Baltimore City Public Schools since December 2021 as one of that district’s nine instructional leadership executive directors. Before that, he spent five years and four months in Prince George’s County Public Schools as a principal leadership coach and school leadership coach.

What did Superintendent Laurie Newell say?

“Ultimately, the District’s mission is to provide an effective education for our children with which they can build their futures on,” said Paterson’s new superintendent, Laurie Newell, in a written statement.

“Given the low test scores seen in the latest report, I was looking for a candidate with proven results in moving achievement levels,” said Newell, who has been the city’s superintendent since July 1. “Dr. Henderson has met the qualifications as outlined in the Deputy Superintendent of Schools job description.”

More from Paterson Press: Haunted by cop son’s COVID death, business owner leaving Paterson after 36 years

Henderson replaces Susana Person, whose deputy superintendent salary was $251,129 when she retired at the end of June. He was recommended by a search committee that evaluated the applicants for the job.

“The superintendent feels very strongly that adding him to her team will help us get to where we want to be,” said school board member Kenneth Simmons. “He has a background of turning schools around.”

What did advocates say?

Among those on the selection committee was Linda Reid, who works at the Paterson Education Fund advocacy group.

“He gave a great presentation. He impressed me,” Reid said of Henderson.

But Reid expressed concern about whether someone coming from outside the city will be able to navigate Paterson’s choppy political waters.

“Is he going to be able to do in Paterson what he did in Baltimore? Paterson is unique,” she said.

Reid said Henderson provided the search committee test score data showing improvements made at schools under his watch. She noted that not every school in Henderson’s districts underwent a transformation.

Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson, NJ: Schools hire new deputy superintendent