Brotschul named principal of NBTHS
Board of Ed votes 5-4 based on questionable application process
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK - Brian Brotschul, who has served as the interim principal at theNorth Brunswick Township High School since the summer, was appointed as the principal by a vote of 5-to-4 by the Board of Education on Feb. 7.

"Now with the tag [of interim] taken off, I have the impetus to go forward and do good things for the school and good things for the district," he said.

Brotschul graduated fromthe College of Charleston in South Carolina and worked in correctional education for five years. He taught high school level English before coming to Linwood Middle School as a writing teacher and assistant principal. He served as the district's director of academic support before being appointed as an assistant principal at the high school, and then replaced former Principal Salvatore Mistretta, who resigned just before the beginning of the school year.

"I loved the challenge of getting students to learn, and I loved the feeling that I was helping others and the feeling that I was making a positive impact on people's lives," the 32-year-old said of his decision to enter the education field.

Because he has been with the high school students since they were in middle school, he said the students know his philosophies and adapted quickly to the change in high school administration this year, considering he is the sixth principal in just as many years.

"I'm here to stay," he said. "This community is where I want to work. It offers a lot of different positions for me professionally and a lot of different pieces made this position attractive.…I've done a lot to have my roots grounded inNorth Brunswick and I think residents here can rest assured Iwill be here for a very, very permanent future."

Being in North Brunswick since 2001, he said he "fell in love with the community" and enjoys the diversity it offers.He said he has already established a good relationship with parents, the instructional staff, other administrators, the Board of Education, township representatives and the police department.

"I particularly like the challenge the high school presented to me, and at the same time I think my skillsmatch up to the needs of the building. On the same tenor, my philosophies are in line with those of my superiors and the Board of Education," the Bridgewater resident said.

Brotschul said the school is run somewhat traditionally, and he would like to diversify the curriculum offerings, alter the structure of the day, create smaller learning communities and implement a freshman academy. In the five months since serving in the principal's position, he has developed professional learning communities that examine the school as a whole through the staff's eyes.

"Mymission as a principal is to increase our academic standards in addition to increasing how attractive our graduates look to colleges," he said. "I am thrilled to be the principal of this high school. I think we're headed in the right direction…and I really feel that great things are going to happen for North Brunswick and I'm glad to be a part of it."

Brotschul's appointment came at the recommendation of Superintendent Brian Zychowski. Zychowski said Brotschul was part of the first seven candidates who passed the first screening with the consulting firm, Leadership Advantage,which was hired to assist with the search.

After stakeholdersmeetings, four of those initial applicants were eliminated. Zychowski then interviewed each candidate one-onone, after which the same three were brought before the Board of Education.

As superintendent, it was Zychowski's responsibility tomake a final recommendation to the board. He said he believes Brotschul "would do the best job for the high school now and in the future" because he was "thrust" into the principal's position over the summer.

"Brian was not only able to do his work over the summer but do the work of Mr. Mistretta, who went out for surgery, and has really done a good job as interim principal," he said.

Zychowski also said that Brotschul had an advantage because "he had more than just an interview, he had an audition" because of his long evaluation period. He said residents were concerned about the high turnover rate of principals and that everyone involved wants to bring "permanency and continuity" to the position.

The superintendent said he believes Brotschulwill be able to raise the standards of proficiency at the school and will develop ways to accommodate all types of learners. He said he believes Brotschul will be able to raise the standards of proficiency at the school and will develop ways to accommodate all types of learners.

"I think Brian Brotschul will bring the energy, academic leadership and the district experience of the global viewof the district," Zychowski said.

However, the board was split 5-4 vote, mainly because some members felt the interview process did not meet the concerns of the stakeholders as expressed to Richard Marasco of Leadership Advantage, as stated by board member Karen Hirrschoff during the meeting.

Board President Claire Padovano agreed, saying that she, along with Hirrschoff,Mary Chyb and David Higham, voted no because of an overall concern about howthe processwas conducted, not because of a lack of confidence in Brotschul.

"It is definitely not anything against [Brotschul]. It is absolutely not, absolutely, absolutely not," Padovano said.

Padovano said the board wishes Brotschul well and hopes that "the school will come up to where we want it to be. It has been through a lot of turmoil the past couple of years."