Frampton will retire in December after 23 years in the Washington Township Public Schools District
In a remarkable and appropriate twist of fate, the music will fade on the enviably successful career of the Washington Township Public Schools’ Visual and Performing Arts supervisor Bob Frampton exactly 23 years to the day that he began his supervisory role in the district. Frampton, a former music teacher at his alma mater Cherry Hill East High School (one year) and Triton High School (16 years), began his career in Washington Township as a music supervisor on Dec. 1, 1994. He will end in his role, which was expanded to include the oversight of all visual and performing arts K-12, on Dec. 1, 2017.
“I had a really great band experience at Cherry Hill East when I participated in a very large program under the direction of a very charismatic band director who primed my interest and motivation to pursue music education as a career,” Frampton said, a graduate of the University of Florida. “I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of wonderful kids and many talented teachers. I feel very comfortable that I’ve accomplished what I came here to accomplish. Everyone has mixed emotions when they leave someplace they’ve been a long time, but I am ready to move on to something a little bit different.”
Along the way, Frampton has been a tireless advocate for the arts, facilitating the introduction and growth of numerous programs in the district and then, as he says, getting out of his teachers’ way so they can thrive in their classrooms. He has supervised from 45 to 55 staff members annually in one of the most decorated and celebrated arts departments in the region and state.
“Nothing here that has been accomplished has been by me alone,” Frampton said. “The people I work with are fantastic. They are creative and talented, and they have a really strong work ethic. They set a high bar for themselves, and they come up with great ideas. I have tried to step aside and not put too many limits on them. This district has benefitted from some of their amazing contributions. The high school has twice been recognized as a Grammy Signature school, and we have twice been recognized as among the best communities for music education. We have been honored as a model school for the arts. We’ve had students perform abroad and in amazing venues like the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall and in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. All these things add up to a comprehensive, exciting program.”
In fact, arts have flourished in Washington Township through Frampton-guided curriculum initiatives that include instrumental and vocal music, arts expressions through painting, drawing, sculpture and jewelry design, dance, and performing arts and drama. The push for technology has spawned and enhanced classes in digital animation, illustration and photography. Art, in all of its forms, is available from the introductory to advanced levels.
“My belief from the very beginning was the arts are valuable for students,” Frampton said. “I don’t believe participating in the arts makes them smarter. There are people out there in the world who say that. I believe it helps them to be better students and better people. The skills that they learn-developing a work ethic, learning goal-setting, learning about working in teams and being proud of what they produce — these are life skills that you don’t necessarily get in other classrooms.
“Public speaking and how you present yourself, these are things that we are teaching in drama classes as early as seventh grade,” Frampton continued. “We know that not all students are going to become professional artists, dancers, musicians or actors. That’s not our intent. We want to give them the best experience possible, and then, on top of it, for those students who do want to go on, we want to have real meat in our program. Regardless of the level, these are skills kids need. They learn a lot that will take them through life. I am really proud of all of that.”
Showcasing student talent has always been one of his priorities. In fact, perhaps the most defining moment of Frampton’s legacy came very early upon his arrival at the district when he was asked for his professional input during the creation of the 2,500-seat performing arts center — now the Investors Bank Performing Arts Center — at WTHS.
“Being asked to collaborate on the creation of that facility was a dream come true for a performing person,” said Frampton, who recounts its exciting opening that included the talents of more than 600 students district-wide during the dedication ceremony in 1998. “We knew this space could provide a lot of opportunity for us, and it has. Being a part of that was a one of the highlights of my career.”
Bob Frampton is fulfilled. From his unique and long-standing vantage point, he has had his hands in everything from kindergarten art class to Advanced Placement music theory class. He has been able to see and develop the breadth of the whole program, to provide structure to students and aid teachers in course development and progression. His impact has extended beyond the district, through extended stints in leadership roles with the New Jersey Music Educators Association and the Eastern Division of The National Association for Music Education.
“I have tried my best to be a facilitator, to help teachers however I could and to appreciate what they do and do so well,” Frampton said. “But the time has come. I have been in the classroom, in one way or another, since I was five years old. It’s time to graduate.”
