Announcement: Permanent Superintendent

Dear staff, parents, students, and community members,

At our Board of Education meeting on May 25th, we announced that Mr. Robert Beers will be our new superintendent starting on August 9th. Between the end of Dr. Ficarra’s contract on June 30th and the start of Mr. Beers contract on August 9th, our district will be in the very capable hands of Ms. Karen Jones as our acting superintendent.

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce Mr. Beers and to welcome him to the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional  School District . After an in-depth and rigorous search process of screening 31 applicants, the Board has selected Mr. Beers after a three round interview process.  His extensive experience prepares him well to be at the helm of our district. Most recently he has successfully led the Manville School District as their superintendent. In addition, he has served as the assistant superintendent at West Morris Regional High School District. He has also been an assistant principal, track, and cross-country coach, as well as a social studies teacher. His breadth of experience in education, more than 20 years, will serve our district well.

To further elaborate on Mr. Beers background,  he has been the superintendent of schools in Manville New Jersey since August 2017.  During his tenure there,  Mr. Beers has established himself as an advocate for equitable student outcomes.  Major program enhancements during Mr. Beers’ tenure at Manville include:  

• Collaborating with grass roots organizations in the fight for “fair funding” advocating for the full implementation of School Funding Reform Act.  
• Lowering of class sizes in every grade throughout the district.
• Promoting program initiatives maximizing inclusive practices throughout the district. 
• Creating and implementing student wellness and counseling programs.
• Implementing a full day preschool program servicing 120 students.  
• Expanding the Advanced Placement Program and Honors Programs resulting in a 150% rise in the number of students scoring a 3 or above on an AP test.  
• Creating an Advanced Manufacturing Program through a partnership with Raritan Valley Community College.  

Previously, Mr. Beers served as the Assistant Superintendent in the West Morris Regional High School District where he led the district through a curricular overhaul resulting in accreditation for the International Baccalaureate Career Programme.  Additionally, he led district supervisors through the process of creating open-source materials within the curriculum, thus moving away from traditional textbooks.  

Mr. Beers started his career as a Social Studies Teacher in the Roxbury Public Schools in 1992, where he also served as the Head Track and Field Coach.  In 2000, Mr. Beers moved to the West Morris School District, where he served as a Social Studies Teacher and later as an Assistant Principal at Mendham High School.   He served as the Assistant Superintendent of Schools in the West Morris District from 2012-2017.  

Mr. Beers is a dedicated and visionary educator who looks forward to the opportunities and challenges facing the Bridgewater-Raritan Public Schools for the 2021/22 school year and beyond.  He has a broad range of experiences that will help the Bridgewater-Raritan community rebound from the effects of the pandemic and return to full day instruction starting in September.  Mr. Beers envisions a strong community partnership that will enhance the educational excellence present within the Bridgewater Raritan Regional School District.

We hope that Mr. Beers will call Bridgewater-Raritan Regional  School District his home for many years to come. Please join the Board of Education in extending him a warm welcome to the Bridgewater-Raritan family.

In closing, please remember to perform a random act of kindness in the name of defeating hate.

Take care and stay well,

Jackie Barlow

President, Bridgewater- Raritan Regional School District Board of Education