Principal’s involvement
goes beyond classroom
New official making his presence known to students, families
BY JOLINE HART
Staff Writer

Richard Sternberg

Richard Sternberg, whose tenure as principal of South River Middle School began in July, makes it a point to get personally involved in the lives of his students.

At the beginning of another whirlwind day at South River Middle School last week, fifth- through eighth-graders rushed through the hallways to their lockers, chatting with friends and preparing for their next class. At their impressionable age, many of them are in need of guidance and, as several already know, their new principal is looking out for them.

Even before the start of the current school year, Sternberg met with each teacher, introducing himself and asking for the names of two or three of their students who would benefit from a pep talk with the new principal. With the names in hand, he dropped in on about 50 families in the community, getting acquainted and letting the students know of his confidence in their success during the upcoming year.

"The beauty of being a middle school principal is that you get to mold these kids’ values, principles and behaviors when it really matters," Sternberg said.

Throughout his 25-year career in education, Sternberg has worked in school districts in Virginia and New Jersey, including several high schools. His most recent position was with the K-8 Dumont school district in Bergen County.

After growing up in Scarsdale, N.Y., Sternberg studied at Michigan State University, Fordham University in New York, and the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Va.

He now resides in Hunterdon County with his wife, a pediatric ontological counselor at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. The Sternbergs have two grown children.

What began as a stable career in education was interrupted when Sternberg unexpectedly had to assume responsibility of a toy importing business owned by his family. At the request of his parents, he promised to devote a year and a half to the business and reluctantly left his position as a school principal. Following a business trip to Asia, where Sternberg spent six weeks in five different countries, he found the allure of travel enough to draw him into the business for 10 years. During his subsequent trips to the Orient, Sternberg fostered his love of travel and his fascination with other regions of the world.

In 1993, Sternberg was invited to become a charter member of the Board of Development for the College of William & Mary’s School of Education, where he completed his doctoral work. This invitation brought him back into the field of education and returned his focus to his career as principal.

Those same inquiring, spirited qualities that first attracted Sternberg to traveling now provide an added spark to his administrative practices. He aims to motivate students by saying, "If you’re not at bat you can’t hit a home run. And I’m not afraid to strike out."

Sternberg said he gives personal attention to students by showing interest in their lives, and he takes proactive approaches to dealing with problems. Still, he expressed a firm belief that parents and youngsters should be accountable for their actions.

When a student is disrespectful or creates problems in school, Sternberg enacts a "baby-sitting punishment," bringing in a parent, guardian or relative to spend a school day with the child. He said he has seen great results from his no-nonsense practices.

"We set high expectations," he said, noting that students have responded positively to such caring yet resolute policies.

His methods, he said, are neither revolutionary nor ingenious, but he expressed pride in the results.

"In my experience, the kids don’t care what we know, they just want to know that we care."

Greg Palaski, vice president of the South River Board of Education, said Sternberg "is an inspirational leader, engaging and deeply committed to education."

"He believes he can solve any problem that we have, and we believe him," Palaski said.

Another of Sternberg’s priorities as principal is to deal with bullying, an issue that he calls "the No. 1 problem in schools." According to Sternberg, what should be noted about incidents of violence in schools is that they are almost always the result of children being bullied.

Sternberg said he makes a promise to "every child who comes in and every parent who calls about bullying ... I will confront the problem."

Steps have already been taken by the school board and superintendent, who established a zero-tolerance, anti-bullying policy. Beginning next year, Sternberg will implement a formal campaign, designed by Peter Yarrow, called "Don’t Laugh at Me," which sets up "no-ridicule zones" in each classroom.

After 25 years, Sternberg remains content in his career.

"I love the challenge," he said. "Being a school principal is one of the most exciting things I could be doing. I believe that every day."