Agnes Golding

PROFILES IN EDUCATION

Candace Braun

Name: Agnes Golding
School: Princeton Regional Schools
Years in District: 17 years
Current Position: Director of Student Services
Education: undergraduate degree from State University of New York at Stony Brook; doctorate from Rutgers University; certified psychologist in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Most Memorable Book: Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools, by Jonathan Kozol
Person You Admire: "My mentor, Constance Vieland, who was a psychologist in Princeton for many years. She was the most influential person for me professionally....She was just an exceptional human being and an exceptional professional. She's someone you meet only once or twice in your lifetime."

With 16 years as a child psychologist and coordinator for the child study team under her belt, Agnes Golding was the obvious choice to fill the position of director of student services for Princeton Regional Schools.

Ms. Golding, who formerly worked at Riverside Elementary School, was recently hired to replace Karen Taratuski, in a position where she will be responsible for the special education department and child study team in the district.

Ms. Golding will be hiring, supervising, and evaluating staff, as well as helping children with special needs find the right programs.

The new director of student services said she first went into psychology because she was interested in problem solving and listening to people's concerns: "I enjoy trying to find resolution so that everyone walks away feeling that their needs were satisfied."

Ms. Golding said she took on her current position because she was "looking for new challenges." She also feels that right now there is a very supportive School Board, as well as a great team of staff members.

In addition to looking to expand district programs and opportunities for children, she said she plans to fill certain staff positions that are opening up, including the new position of behavioral therapist at the elementary level.

"I believe that 98 percent of what you do is about the staff you hire. The opportunity for me to be able to bring new people on board is very important to me," she said.

No Better Place To Work

A Long Island native, Ms. Golding grew up in a family of six children. Now a resident of Yardley, Pa., she enjoys swimming and travelling, one of her most recent trips being with her twin sister to Europe.

She also enjoys projects around the house: "I'm kind of a handy woman....I like to do electrical and plumbing projects."

Ms. Golding first came to Princeton as a graduate student at Rutgers University. It was there she formed a relationship with Constance Vieland, a psychologist in Princeton for many years. Ms. Vieland served as Ms. Golding's mentor during her time at Rutgers, and they later worked together in private practice.

After completing her schooling Ms. Golding began working in private practice with cancer patients. To supplement her income she also worked as a school psychologist in Bucks County, Pa. No sooner had she found her calling in education, than she was able to obtain a job at Riverside Elementary School.

"I found it was a fun place to be and that there's no place better to work....It became so much more important to me [than a private practice]. It shifted me professionally."

She added that while she still sees some patients on the side at her private practice in Yardley, Pa., most of her time is spent here at her job in Princeton.

Ms. Golding said she believes the main issue in education is accountability, and making sure that every staff member is contributing to each child's education in a significant way.

"We need to make sure we're doing the job that the community hired us to do," she said, adding that the No Child Left Behind Act has helped move districts forward in finding ways to quantify a child's learning process.

Now, just a month into her new position in the Valley Road Building, Ms. Golding said her personal goal has been to visit schools in the district that she is less acquainted with to learn more about each one's culture and priorities, and to see where support is needed most.

Her first priority, she repeated, is to find people to fill vacant positions "that will do a fabulous job."

"I think the district is well served when we hire people who are bright, intelligent problem solvers; people who are creative, dedicated, and hard working," she said. "It's not necessarily the ones with the most degrees or the most experience that you should hire; we want lifelong learners."

To nominate an educator for the Profiles in Education series, contact Candace Braun.