By Sunayana Prabhu
SHREWSBURY – The school district’s incoming superintendent and principal, Richard Cohen, said his “first No. 1 priority is to listen – listen and learn” – when he joins the district July 1.
A Colts Neck resident with more than 30 years of experience in education, Cohen’s appointment was made after a lengthy search and officially announced during a special Shrewsbury Board of Education (BOE) meeting April 15.
Cohen will succeed Brett McConnell, who is retiring after nearly two decades leading the pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade district of about 450 students.
Parents, students and staff gathered to meet Cohen in the new multipurpose room, which was part of the school’s nearly $22 million expansion completed last year.
While Cohen is looking forward to honoring the history and traditions of the century-old school district, he said his leadership will be grounded in open dialogue and an overall collaborative culture across the district.
“Listening begins now, starting this summer, I’ll be launching listening opportunities across the community, meet-and-greets, coffee conversations, open office hours, onsite events and virtual sessions, so I can begin to learn from you and better understand your hopes, your ideas and your priorities for our schools,” he said.
Cohen said he intends to meet individually with every board member and with McConnell, as well as with the administrative team and teacher union leaders, while also creating ways for families and students to share their perspectives. “I want to see what kind of structure is already in place for everyone to have a voice,” he said. But the driving factor behind every decision will be the students, he added.
Cohen also promised the gathering full of young children and parents that he intends to be a visible presence in the building and in the community.
“You’ll also see me regularly in classrooms, hallways, school events, community gatherings,” he said. “I pledge to always be present, accessible and engaged in daily life in the immediate future.”
Cohen rose to the top of the list of accomplished applicants for the role. The BOE launched a search for a new superintendent following McConnell’s retirement announcement last fall. As part of the search process, the board hosted two public input sessions, one in person and one virtual. In addition, the district also conducted an online survey to collect feedback from residents. The survey asked about district direction, leadership structure and style, and candidate experience. These responses helped the board determine the most suitable candidate for the role. According to the April 15, special meeting agenda, Cohen is appointed for a term commencing July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2030 at an initial annualized salary of $190,000 for the 2026-27 school year.
“Shrewsbury is a special town, and in searching for our district’s next leader, the board prioritized the leadership qualities that will best serve our students and wider community,” said BOE President David Ngo in a statement after the meeting. “Among a top pool of candidates, Rick displayed a diverse range of experiences and expertise. His philosophy of education reflects the community’s vision and collective belief that all students, when properly supported, can achieve the highest level of success. The board is confident that Rick will build upon our strong foundation to lead us forward.”
Cohen’s experience includes multiple leadership roles, including as principal and assistant superintendent in the Metuchen School District. During his 12 years at Metuchen, Cohen encouraged data-driven instruction, collaborated with teachers on curricula and advanced social-emotional learning (SEL) that teaches interpersonal skills and emotional regulation to enhance student performance outcomes. He also served as a principal at Red Bank Primary School. Most recently, he served as the chief academic officer for secondary education at Edison Township Public Schools.
Cohen received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in educational administration from Rutgers University. He anticipates receiving his doctorate in educational leadership from Monmouth University this summer. He is also the coauthor of “The Metacognitive Student” and “The Metacognitive Preschooler” both of which focus on the practical implementation of social-emotional learning in schools.
Additionally, Cohen has spent about a decade working with the New Jersey Public School Labor Management Collaborative at Rutgers University, helping districts build shared decision-making strategies that bring together administrators, union leaders and teachers. From that experience, he said, he has seen the power of teacher input.
“One thing I learned to be true across my 20 years as a school and district leader is the incredible impact of (the) teacher’s voice,” he said.
Cohen’s collaborative approach could potentially help resolve the borough’s checkered past regarding teacher retention. Last year, a handful of teachers resigned from the district, and some students had to use virtual instruction for Spanish language classes due to difficulties replacing the school’s Spanish language teacher. Parents questioned the school’s teacher retention policies during board meetings in July and August, urging the board to offer a better environment for teachers and staff to thrive.
Cohen said he plans to examine what collaboration systems already exist in Shrewsbury and then work with staff and union leadership to strengthen them.
“Whether it’s school leadership team or district leadership team, the more voice you can give teachers – more voice and choice – the higher levels of their job satisfaction and teacher retention,” Cohen said. He said he’s eager to dive into this work by figuring out how to build collaboration structures that give all stakeholders a strong voice in decision-making because research and his own experience show that shared decision-making “leads to the greatest outcomes for students and the greatest environment and harmony for work.”
The article originally appeared in the April 23 – 29, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
