Patch One-On-One: Getting to Know Dr. Nancy Lubarsky

On November 14, Dr. Nancy Lubarsky will begin a new chapter of her educational career, replacing Dr. Jeanette Baubles as Chief School Administrator, but her dream of working in education began long ago. 

“I can’t remember wanting to do anything else but be a teacher,” Dr. Lubarsky told Patch in a one-on-one interview. “Half my career was spent as a teacher and half was spent as an administrator. I always approach everything from the point of a teacher. For me, being a Superintendent, a Supervisor, or a Principal is just like teaching different classes.”

Lubarsky went on to explain that she also sees herself as a lifelong student, constantly sharing with and learning from her peers.

Although she has spent last eight years of her educational career in Bethlehem, New Jersey, Lubarsky’s roots in education were planted right here in Union County. 

She spent the first fifteen years of her career in Roselle, teaching high school, eventually taking on the role of Supervisor of Language Arts and Social Studies for grades seven through twelve. She then moved on to the Scotch Plains–Fanwood School district where she served as a teacher and as the Language Arts and Social Studies Supervisor for the middle schools. 

“My career shift was from secondary education to middle and elementary. People say that I went backwards, but I think it is a step forward,” Dr. Lubarsky stated.  

Dr. Lubarsky, a Cranford resident, has a Master’s degree and a Ph.D.S. in English and Language Arts which she earned from Rutgers University.  She also has a second Master’s degree from Montclair State University which qualifies her as a Reading Specialist.

“My initial experience as a Supervisor sparked my interest in how children learn to read and write. This inspired me to pursue a graduate degree in my field,” she said.

After pursuing her degree while working in Scotch Plains, Dr. Lubarsky became an elementary school Principal in Holmdel in September of 2001 where a new position presented new challenges.

Dr. Lubarsky went on to describe how during her first week as a Principal, she was faced with the difficult task of helping the families she served cope with the attacks on 9/11.

“I was serving children grades kindergarten through second grade. The whole district of Holmdel lost 25 people and our school lost four parents. It was a very delicate situation. We kept putting off the memorial because one of the parents was not convinced that her husband had been killed. Thankfully, we were finally able to hold the ceremony on Memorial Day.”

Dr. Lubarsky explained that because the children were so young, it was difficult to commemorate the event because the staff had made an effort to protect the children from the tragic impact 9/11 had on Americans. “It was certainly a challenge as a new Principal.  I think for any Principal it would have been a challenge.”

After spending three years as an elementary school Principal in Holmdel, Dr. Lubarsky moved to the Bethlehem, New Jersey school district where she spent five years as a Principal and the last three years as Superintendent of Schools.

In the three years she has spent working as a Superintendent, Dr. Lubarsky has continued to grow in her profession, perfecting the best strategies for communicating with teachers, the Board of Education, and the community.

“It is extremely important to listen and to be collaborative,” she said. “I feel that the teachers are the ones doing the important work. It is my job to support them and to support the administrators who supervise the teachers,” Lubarsky stated.

Dr. Lubarsky also noted that she values the beliefs and needs of the community and works hard to make sure that they are represented in the schools by working closely with the Board of Education.

Dr. Lubarsky went on to explain that her extensive teaching experience has given her a unique perspective.

“I think those who choose a faster career path don’t have enough classroom experience under their belts, which causes them to overlook important details,” Lubarsky said. “My observations and experience give me the tools to think like a teacher and understand how I can help.  I am constantly aware of what our teachers and children need, including what the proper instructional style should be.” 

Dr. Lubarsky also noted that this outlook helps her to determine and implement proper professional development for teachers.

“In my experience, teachers are often lacking the support from administrators that they need to succeed,” Dr. Lubarsky said. “Teachers need to be recognized. When you close the door at the end of the school day, it gets pretty lonely. We don’t need to hand out big awards, we just need to let people know that they’re doing a good job.”

Dr. Lubarsky explained that building professional learning communities is a good way to give teachers the support they need. Here, teachers meet in groups and discuss the “hows and whys of teaching.” This educational structure also gives teachers the opportunity to observe their peers.

“This means that the administrator doesn’t have to rule with a heavy hand, educators are learning from each other.  This is certainly something I would like to explore more in the Mountainside school district,” she said.

When asked about how she felt about the recent statements made by former members of the Mountainside Board of Education, Dr. Lubarsky stated that she wasn’t worried. “People resign for their own reasons and there may or not be a pattern here. Some of the statements that have been made are perceptions and not necessarily realities. That’s kind of the way things are in my district too. Things get blown out of proportion; there are five people that seem to be working well together.  It’s hard to counter that with the words of one or two,” she said.  

Dr. Lubarsky explained that the decline in population in her district and the rest of Hunterdon County led her to look for employment elsewhere.   

“The district was in flux and I wasn’t sure that there was a future for my position because of the decline in population. I wanted to leave myself open for other possibilities,” Dr. Lubarsky said.

When she discovered the job opening, Lubarsky took the time to learn about the different issues Mountainside schools are facing. 

“The Bethlehem district and the Mountainside district are very similar.  Coming from a K-8 district, I understand the growing pains of a small district. In small affluent districts like Mountainside and Bethlehem, these challenges are especially daunting because of the lack of state funding. We are all trying to promote high academic achievement and extracurricular activities in a challenging fiscal climate,” Lubarsky said.