Scott Taylor

Biography

I am a father of two children and husband to a special educator. My personal family means the world to me because it keeps me grounded and humble (raising children has beaen by far the most challenging "job" I have ever had). Visit the Taylor household and you will hear Broadway show music, jazz (my preference) and be visited by our King Charles Spaniel Mayzie, Malti-Poo Cody, and seeing-eye puppy-in-training, Zuma the Golden Retriever. We love the Jersey Shore (Cape May in particular), family movie nights, and taking long walks to the main street in our town. Julia is a Highland Park High School student (Class of 2021), and Sarah is a Bachelors of Music student studying musical theatre at the Manhattan School of Music (Class of 2022).

I began my educational career as a high school English teacher at the High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey. My first leadership position had me take the assistant principalship in the Manalapan-Englishtown Middle School. I moved to the other side of Manalapan to be principal of the Lafayette Mills School (Grades 4-6) but left to return to the district in which I started as I assumed the position of principal of the Academy of Allied Health and Science. The next step in my career path led me to Little Silver Public Schools where I held the position of supervisor of curriculum, instruction, and technology. I then moved to Kenilworth where I took the helm as assistant superintendent and superintendent. I landed in Highland Park as superintendent in October 2015 and my mission is to assertively help all our community's children grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally.

To support these efforts, I have kept my own professional learning alive and well. I received my doctorate from Columbia University in 2008 and began teaching at Rutgers University's Graduate School of Education soon after. I now teach at both Rutgers and Montclair Universities and am a facilitator for the Academy for Social-Emotional Learning in Schools (http://sel.cse.edu). I currently serve on several executive boards, including those of the New Jersey Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the New Jersey School Development Council. My work at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick as a member of the group's Educational Advisory Panel helps me stay current in the performing arts. I share my professional ideas as a featured writer for the George Lucas Educational Foundation.

I am honored to have been recognized as the 2018 Middlesex County Superintendent of the Year. This is a recognition only made possible by the efforts of the students, parents/guardians, staff, leaders, and Highland Park Board of Education. My work at Rutgers University was noted as well as I received the 2017 Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from the University Council for Educational Administration.

When I am not playing with the kids or finding some quiet time to sit on the porch with my wife Caren and a good cup of coffee (I prefer Starbucks), I enjoy reading presidential biographies and training for triathlons. I am a competitive age-group triathlete (http://taylorleadership.net/tri/tri.html) and have raced in 18 triathlons including seven Ironman 70.3 races (Miami 70.3, Eagleman 70.3 three times, Princeton 70.3, Timberman 70.3, and Atlantic City 70.3). I ran the New York City Marathon on November 2, 2014, November 1, 2015, November 7, 2016 and will again take part in the greatest road race in the world on November 4, 2018. I am honored to have been awarded Ironman Triathlon All World Athlete (Bronze) status three times (2015, 2017, and 2018) for having placed in the top 10% of my age group.

You can learn more about me at taylorleadership.net and by exploring my professional vision by reading my blog at successfulschools.blogspot.com. 

Resume/CV

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Research

My areas of expertise are:

•Social-emotional skill-building
•Gender identity support policy
•Discipline equity