Twelve years ago, Matthew Friedman, then assistant superintendent of instruction and technology for the Mars Area School District just north of Pittsburgh, visited Quakertown with a team of administrators to observe first-hand what he called “a forward-thinking school district that really was student-centered.”
When he got home, Friedman told his wife that he could see himself working in Quakertown one day.
“And here we are,” Friedman said Tuesday night after the Quakertown School Board voted unanimously to hire him a superintendent. He will start July 1, taking over for Dr. William Harner, who is retiring after nearly a decade as the district’s top administrator.
The board also approved a four-year employment contract with Friedman, including a starting annual salary of $207,000, 25 paid vacation days, and 12 sick days. He will also be permitted to “undertake consultative work, speaking engagements, writing, lecturing, or other professional duties and obligations” with board approval.
Board president Glenn Iosue said Friedman was chosen after a four-month national search conducted with the Pennsylvania Association of School Boards that included a community survey that received hundreds of responses, multiple interviews with the school board, stakeholder group interviews with parents, community leaders, principles, administrators, teachers, and support staff.
In introducing him to an audience of about 100 people, Iosue called Friedman “a visionary leader and passionate educator [who] will achieve the next level of excellence for our district. His track record of stellar academic performance, and his desire to help students, families, and staff, demonstrates his capability to succeed in this new role.”
Friedman has spent 24 years in public education, including 19 as an administrator. He was most recently the superintendent of the Ocean City (N.J.) School District, a position he held for less than a year. Previously, he served as an assistant principal, chief academic officer, assistant superintendent, and superintendent at several school districts in Pennsylvania, including Downingtown.
A Western Pennsylvania native, Friedman earned his undergraduate degree in political science and communications from the University of Pittsburgh, Master’s degrees from Duquesne University (Education) and Carnegie Mellon (Public Policy and Management/Educational Leadership), and his Doctor of Education from Gwynedd Mercy University (Educational Leadership). He is also an associate professor and dissertation chair at Point Park University.
In brief remarks after he was hired, Friedman told the audience that he hopes to be “a catalyst for growth and propel the district forward.”
Throughout the interview process, he said, “a true sense of district pride was evident everywhere” he went. He said he looks forward to “embracing” his role as both an educational leader for the district and a leader for the community “through consistent communication, transparency, and community engagement.
“I want to build upon the strong legacy that the school district and the community have already established for our students,” he said. “Expanding our strengths, recognizing our challenges, and identifying the most effective strategies to address these challenges are things I truly believe in.”
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