“THE RIGHT PERSON AT THE RIGHT TIME”: Jessica Baxter, Princeton High School assistant principal, has been appointed the next principal at PHS, to succeed Gary Snyder, who is retiring at the end of this year. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Public Schools)

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton High School (PHS) Assistant Principal Jessica Baxter knows that her school is strong academically, but she also knows that PHS needs to continue its progress to become a more healthy school for all. Appointed last week as the next principal of PHS, Baxter will be leading the school as it grows and changes to meet the challenges of the coming years.

Baxter has been a leader over the past two years in implementing the Challenge Success student survey and following up on the results that showed PHS students experiencing high levels of stress, low levels of joyful engagement with learning, and serious sleep deprivation.

“We were a strong school academically, but we weren’t so healthy,” Baxter said. “We were trying to focus on wellness, and our kids were not feeling well. They were feeling over-scheduled, overworked, and stressed out. It was manifesting in different ways. We were seeing kids missing school, kids not enjoying classes, and lacking engagement in the learning process.”

Baxter observed, “This is a wonderful staff to work with,” as she pointed out some of the changes that have been implemented. “Now we have a later start time and a block schedule with a mix of longer periods and shorter periods. We’re also looking at curriculum and instruction and how we’re using space around the school. In addition to the traditional paper-and-pen tests, we want to have more problem-based learning and performance-based assessments.”

She noted that the new schedule allows for more options for teacher planning and more depth of study on certain days. Science classes have always had lab periods, but now English classes have a writing lab. “So our teachers are really enjoying the changes and the opportunities to approach learning in different ways,” Baxter said.

As principal, starting when Gary Snyder retires at the end of this school year, Baxter looks forward to building on the changes of the past two years. “I want to help the momentum of those changes in a positive way and to keep up the work that we’re trying to do right now.”

She added, “I love the students and the families here. It will be nice to work with them in a different role.”

Expressing confidence in the new PHS leader, PPS Superintendent Steve Cochrane stated, “Jessica has shown her ability in nearly eight years as an assistant principal to care deeply about our students, to effectively lead high-level change, and to get things done on a daily basis.”

Cochrane went on to emphasis some of the goals that Baxter and the district will be pursuing. “She is a powerful voice for equity in our schools; she truly understands the issues of wellness faced by our students; and she has been instrumental in supporting teachers in their shift to more authentic, problem-based learning. Equally significant, she believes in schools as places of celebration. I look forward to working with Ms. Baxter and her entire team to build on the steps already taken at PHS — and to do so in partnership with our community and with a renewed sense of joy for students, staff, and families.”

Baxter is currently the district anti-bullying coordinator and president of the Princeton Administrators Association. She is also responsible for developing the school’s master schedule each year, and she co-chaired the committee that recommended the later start time and a new bell schedule at PHS. 

Baxter holds an M.A. in educational leadership from the College of Saint Elizabeth and an M.A in Applied Linguistics, and a B.A. in Spanish Education from Montclair State University. Fluent in Spanish, she was a Spanish and ESL teacher at Hanover Park High School before coming to PHS in 2012.

Baxter described revamping the PHS ESL program to make sure it best serves the students and families who come from other countries as one of her greatest accomplishments in  making the school more inclusive and welcoming.

“I’m definitely proud of the ESL program,” she said. “We have a welcome center for students new to the country. We have different types of classes and counseling services to help them acclimate better to a new country, a new school, a new culture.”

Baxter stressed the importance of building trust in developing relationships and making PHS more accessible to ESL students and their families.

“I think I’m a good listener,” she said. “One of my goals as assistant principal was to be visible and accessible. People know that they don’t need an appointment to see me. They can come by my office. They can drop in and see me.”

Cochrane added, “She is the right person at the right time to help our high school take the next steps in becoming a beacon of innovation, partnership, and care.”

Baxter, who lives in Hackettstown with her two daughters and enjoys reading and hiking when she can find the time, reemphasized the priorities that will help direct her work as PHS principal. “I want this to be an inclusive school,” she said. “When kids, families, and teachers walk through the door, I want them to feel that this is their place, that they belong here. When people feel a sense of belonging, that comes with empowerment, and they want to keep things great or make things better because they care about them.”