After holding her position as Superintendent of the Middletown Township Public School District for the past three years, Jessica Alfone recently announced her retirement.
In a letter that went out to the community on February 12th, it was made known that Alfone would be finishing the school year in her current position before moving on to a job in the private sector. In the letter she explains that while she is stepping away from public education, her new position will allow her to contribute to the field in different ways. This decision to retire comes after many years of dedicated work towards improving education standards and striving to better our district. Though she looks forward to embracing this new opportunity, she is grateful for the years spent in our district, sentimentally writing: “Serving this community has been one of the greatest honors of my professional life.”
For Alfone, working in education has always seemed like the natural path to take. “My father and mother both worked in public education for many years so it was an extremely familiar environment for me,” she explains. In addition to babysitting for neighborhood families as a teenager, she also credits her enjoyment for working with children to being the oldest in a family of four kids. “When I had to decide on a professional path, I knew that this was the right fit for me and that I could positively impact future generations.”
As she starts transitioning out of her current position, she acknowledges the ways in which it has helped prepare her for her upcoming role in the private sector. “Because this role is in the education space, I believe that having a handle on public school dynamics will enable me to better support districts and teachers in my new role.” In addition to being Superintendent of the Middletown Township Public School District, Alfone has also held administrative positions which have provided her with a background in curriculum and instruction, something she says is relevant in her upcoming role.
With this announcement being made halfway through the school year, many parents are wondering what to expect over the next few months. Despite concerns, Alfone reassures that her retirement will have no negative impacts on the remainder of the school year: “Once my successor is named, I plan to spend time ensuring that the transition is a smooth one so that the district can continue to move forward positively and offer the same level of excellence that we have come to know.”
During her time as Superintendent, Alfone managed to make a difference in our community by bringing about many positive changes. In her opinion, there were two accomplishments that stood out more than the others. The first being the district’s movement towards inclusive education, to which she remarks, “When we can provide effective instruction and positive school experiences for all students alongside their peers, it is a huge victory.” Additionly, she is particularly proud of the evolution of our elementary literacy program. Changes to the program have made it a more structured and multi-sensory, creating a “more sound” approach towards children learning how to read. “It has really been a game-changer for the district and our students becoming extremely competent fluent readers,” she says.
Since this announcement was first made nearly three months ago, no news regarding Alfone’s replacement has been made. Regardless, she is confident in the smooth transition from this school year to the next. Until then, her focus is on helping families and faculty alike finish the school year successfully.