In a letter addressed to Cinnaminson High School families, Superintendent Stephen Cappello announced that, on the evening of March 19, the board of education unanimously voted to appoint Ryan Gorman as the principal of Cinnaminson High School.
Gorman is no stranger to the district, serving as assistant principal at the high school since 2011 and acting principal since October of last year. Having proved himself in these roles, Cappello said the board has “entrusted their faith in (Gorman’s) vision to lead the high school well into the next decade.”
Growing up, Gorman always wanted to be a teacher like his dad, who got his start as a math teacher in Rhode Island. This drive stuck with him throughout high school, and by the time he was ready for college, it didn’t take long for him to set himself on that path.
“I investigated a couple of things when I first went away to college and pretty readily decided that education was for me,” said Gorman.
Upon graduating from Rutgers University, Gorman got his start teaching in special education and alternative learning programs prior to coming to Cinnaminson.
He considers the time he spent with a special needs population key to his development as an education professional.
“Working in an alternative school in particular requires two pretty keenly honed skills of communication and conflict de-escalation,” said Gorman. “I spent a lot of time working on how to communicate with kids in a way that makes them feel heard and validated and lets them know that we’re here to support them in making good decisions while simultaneously recognizing that they don’t always make good decisions every day.”
Gorman continues to utilize the skills he developed early on in his career in his role as a school principal today. In his assistant position, Gorman often had to take on the role of disciplinarian, speaking with students about a poor choice they made or how they could have handled a situation differently.
One of the perks of his new position has been passing on that particular responsibility.
“In this office I get to spend a lot more time talking about when kids do things right,” said Gorman.
A major goal for the new principal has been making sure students find a home for themselves at Cinnaminson High School. Gorman believes the communities students find themselves in determine a lot about how they perceive their school experience.
He believes this perception is important because of the effect it can have on how engaged the student is when it comes to education.
Along with his fellow administrators, Gorman has been exploring ways to facilitate this kind of community experience for their students.
“Are we offering our students the communities in which they will find a home? Are the areas we’re offering aligned with where the kids are interested? If not, what can we do to either modify or add new resources to meet those kids where they’re most interested?” Gorman asks himself.
Looking ahead, the new principal is hoping to maintain academic and athletic success at Cinnaminson High School as well as exploring new avenues for its students.
According to Gorman, the school has started to invest a lot of time and resources in developing a STEM program in conjunction with a rededication to expand its television studio.
“We’re going to start bringing some of that programming to the high school in a way that will give kids more opportunities to discover things that they are passionate about,” said Gorman.
