Interview | Dr. Scott Rocco | Superintendent
By Molly Cuddy
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Dr. Scott Rocco, a 19-year resident of Hamilton, was appointed superintendent of the Hamilton Township School District in early May. He has been in education for 23 years, and has held positions such as principal and vice superintendent. He worked in the Hillsborough Township School District for 13 years, and worked in Spotswood Public Schools for the last four years. Dr. Rocco has a master’s degree in education from The College of New Jersey, and a doctorate in leadership, management, and policy from Seton Hall University. He has also co-written two books about education: 140 Twitter Tips for Educators and Hacking Google for Education. I have had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Rocco for the majority of my life. I was able to speak to him recently about his career and his expectations and goals for the district in the upcoming years. He answered questions submitted by Nottingham's Journalism class students.
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Photo by Iliana Nyktas
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What made you choose a career in education?
A: I came from a family of educators. I had several relatives who were involved in education. While I was growing up, we mostly talked about teaching.
If you weren’t involved with education, what career path would you have taken?
I would hope to be playing for the New York Yankees.
How would one of your former high school teachers describe you?
Hard-working.
Would the “fifth grade you” expect to be where you are today?
No, probably not. I did have a great fifth grade teacher who got me into education, but before that, I wasn’t very interested.
What do you do for recreation? What are some of your hobbies?
I fish, watch baseball games, go on vacation with my family, and I teach as an adjunct professor at The College of New Jersey.
What is the most important function a superintendent performs?
To assure a safe and engaging learning environment for everyone.
Social media seems to be an important resource to you. What role does it play in education?
I think it is a good way to get positive information out about schools. It should be used to inform, recognize, and to celebrate our schools, students, teachers, and education in general.
What are some of your goals and plans for the district?
There are a couple things I want to do. I want to make sure every student gets a great education, work to improve our schools and facilities, and integrate more educational technology.
What advice can you give to students who are interested in pursuing a career in education?
Teach what you love to learn about.
Dr. Rocco recently held a poll to establish a theme for the district in the 2017-2018 school year. Over 3,500 votes were cast: the theme is "The Future is Ours to Build Together." He has also created a Twitter account which updates his followers on events happening in the township; the handle is @WeAreHTSD.
A: I came from a family of educators. I had several relatives who were involved in education. While I was growing up, we mostly talked about teaching.
If you weren’t involved with education, what career path would you have taken?
I would hope to be playing for the New York Yankees.
How would one of your former high school teachers describe you?
Hard-working.
Would the “fifth grade you” expect to be where you are today?
No, probably not. I did have a great fifth grade teacher who got me into education, but before that, I wasn’t very interested.
What do you do for recreation? What are some of your hobbies?
I fish, watch baseball games, go on vacation with my family, and I teach as an adjunct professor at The College of New Jersey.
What is the most important function a superintendent performs?
To assure a safe and engaging learning environment for everyone.
Social media seems to be an important resource to you. What role does it play in education?
I think it is a good way to get positive information out about schools. It should be used to inform, recognize, and to celebrate our schools, students, teachers, and education in general.
What are some of your goals and plans for the district?
There are a couple things I want to do. I want to make sure every student gets a great education, work to improve our schools and facilities, and integrate more educational technology.
What advice can you give to students who are interested in pursuing a career in education?
Teach what you love to learn about.
Dr. Rocco recently held a poll to establish a theme for the district in the 2017-2018 school year. Over 3,500 votes were cast: the theme is "The Future is Ours to Build Together." He has also created a Twitter account which updates his followers on events happening in the township; the handle is @WeAreHTSD.