As students returned to school across Mt. Laurel last week, there may not have been anyone more excited than interim superintendent Sharon Vitella.
Sitting in her office on the first day of school last Tuesday, Vitella talked excitedly about implementing the district’s professional development plan for the 2015–16 school year and looking ahead to serving as superintendent for the next couple of months. Vitella was named interim superintendent of Mt. Laurel Schools during the summer following the retirement of former superintendent Antoinette Rath.
Educating children is Vitella’s passion. But as an undergraduate student at York College of Pennsylvania in the 1970s, Vitella didn’t even consider education as a possible career path.
“My bachelor’s degree was just in English,” she said. “I thought I wanted to go into public relations. When I got out of college, the only job I could get was a position as secretary to the vice president of a PR firm in Philadelphia. I did it for a couple of years and realized that I did not have any interest in that business.”
Vitella stayed at home to raise her children for more than a decade. She began to realize education was her calling when she began getting involved as a parent and volunteer in the Neshaminy School District in Bucks County, Pa. She served as the PTO president at Herbert Hoover Elementary School, worked as a playground aide and also served as an aide in Neshaminy High School’s computer writing lab. She loved it, and after working closely for years with Hoover Elementary School Principal Rick Marotto, she was inspired to go back to school and become a teacher.
“When I was in my bachelor’s program. I never gave teaching a thought,” Vitella said. “Once I got involved and talking with Rick, he really inspired me.”
Vitella attended Trenton State and earned her master’s degree in education for secondary English and English as a second language. In 1994, Vitella began teaching language arts and English as a second language in the Burlington Township School District. She loved it from the beginning.
“It was work that I loved doing,” Vitella said. “I really had an ability to relate to children, especially middle school. I loved middle school. I had a positive impact on them and they had a positive impact on me.”
Vitella went to back to college again for a degree in education administration while teaching middle school. In 2001, she left Burlington Township to become an assistant principal at Northern Burlington Regional High School. Vitella said that position helped her learn many of the key skills for being an administrator.
After about 18 months, Vitella changed districts again, becoming a middle school assistant principal at William Allen Middle School in Moorestown, and she became the school’s principal just nine months later.
“With only two years of administrative experience, I became principal in a very high-achieving school district,” Vitella said. “I was very fortunate to hire an assistant principal who was a retired principal from the Neshaminy School District.”
In 2007, Vitella was hired as assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment in Mt. Laurel Schools. Upon coming to the school district, she quickly saw it was unlike other districts in the region and credits Rath for putting students first.
“Every decision that was made was what’s best for kids,” Vitella said. “It really helped to shape me into who I am today.”
Vitella’s favorite aspect of the school district is the feeling of family and unity among the administrators, staff, students and community.
“There are great people everywhere,” Vitella said. “But the family feeling here, that we’re all part of this amazing organization, is really noteworthy.”
As interim superintendent, Vitella said she doesn’t plan on launching any new initiatives. However, because she has been in the district for eight years, she knows what the district has planned for this year and is making sure everything is running smoothly despite a change at superintendent.
“I’m focusing on things we had planned before Dr. Rath said she was leaving,” Vitella said. “I had already prepared a professional development plan for the year, so we’re really just rolling forward with implementing that. I don’t want to implement any massive changes because that’s not my role as the interim.”
Vitella said she is interested in becoming the permanent superintendent in Mt. Laurel and said she will be applying for the position. However, her focus right now is dedicated to serving as the interim superintendent and doing the best job possible.
“There’s certainly a learning curve for me moving into this office,” she said. “But there’s not a learning curve in that I know the district and the district knows me. I really have amazing support here.
