Midland Park February 27, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 Midland Park resident Robert Gilmartin has high hopes for the success of school reform initiatives statewide, but the process won’t be easy, he says. He ought to know. As the recently retired executive county superintendent of schools for Bergen and Passaic counties, Gilmartin says changes are moving so quickly, that it’s frustrating for state field offices, such as the one he headed, as well as for school districts to get answers from the state. “Districts want to be involved; they want to achieve success, but they need guidance, and the field offices are not getting it to pass down,” he said. Nevertheless, he said, he was able to do the job the state wanted him to do, and showed positive results. He said his knowledge of the area and his familiarity with the superintendents under his jurisdiction helped him “work things out to avoid problems, keep out of trouble with the state and implement monitoring.” Gilmartin took the county superintendent position on an interim basis right after he retired as superintendent of schools for the West Milford school district in 2005. Before West Milford, he had taught and held administrative duties at Midland Park High School. The three or four month assignment with the state stretched into seven years. His greatest challenge, he said, was getting through those tumultuous times of school reform, dealing success- Gilmartin has high hopes for reform initiatives fully with one crisis after another. As the “super super” for Passaic County and “the great State of Bergen,” as this county is affectionately called, he watched over 25 Passaic districts and 80 in Bergen, the largest field office in the state with over 218,700 students. He had oversight over district goals and over budget constraints when the 2 percent cap went into effect. He managed district monitoring, ruled on administrative contracts, conducted investigations into district matters following complaints and ruled on certification issues. He particularly valued his involvement with the Prosecutor’s Office and the Sheriff Department over school security and safety concerns, and said he was an active promoter of greater cooperation and outreach between schools and law enforcement agencies. Gilmartin said he also enjoyed getting to know more about Bergen and Passaic counties, and interacting with and trying to assist the districts with “the taxing paperwork.” “There are great things going on in both counties,” he said. Now that his third career is behind him, Gilmartin said he will finally get to spend more time with his family, enjoy his six grandchildren, travel with his wife Gilda (a retired Ramapo High School French teacher), and focus on taking better care of his health. Former Executive County Superintendent Robert Gilmartin