Christopher Span, Dean | Rutgers Graduate School of Education
New Jersey’s education system is recognized as one of the best in the country. Dr. John Bird, an alumnus of the Rutgers Graduate School of Education (GSE), is working to keep the state a strong environment for educators.
“There’s something special about having the opportunity to impact young people and form relationships,” Dr. Bird said. “I can attribute any success I’ve had over the years to my education, and therefore, I want to enable kids, especially those with lesser means, to have opportunities through education.”
Dr. Bird has expressed interest in pursuing leadership roles such as superintendent or working with the New Jersey State Board of Education or Department of Education.
“Being born and raised in New Jersey, I’ve always been a big fan of Rutgers,” he said. “The credentials of a doctorate from Rutgers would help position me for those higher roles when the time comes.”
He earned his first master’s degree at Rutgers Newark before enrolling in the Ed.D. program in Education, Culture, and Society at GSE, seeking a curriculum focused on equity in education.
Starting his doctoral studies during the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges for Dr. Bird and his cohort at GSE.
“We hadn’t really seen people outside of our families due to the lockdown,” Dr. Bird said. “Taking the same classes in the same order with most of my cohort gave us students the opportunity to become a support system for each other academically, socioemotionally, and really become a lifeline for one another in a lot of ways. They even celebrated with me when I got my new job and when my kids were born.”
Life circumstances required him to adjust his course schedule, which disrupted his academic progress and made him consider not completing his dissertation.
“These thoughts fed into the impostor syndrome I had since the beginning, but I decided to keep pushing through. When I received feedback on my thesis from Dr. Benjamin Justice prior to beginning my dissertation work, it finally felt like validation that I was meant to be here,” Dr. Bird said.
He credits his advisor for helping him finish his dissertation.
“I owe my advisor Dr. Judith Harrison the world because she signaled that I had to get something done,” Dr. Bird said. “When I received the results of my dissertation, I was overwhelmed with pride and relief. I even shed a tear. It was a huge moment for me, and the guidance of my professors made it all possible.”
Dr. Bird has served as vice principal at Keansburg High School since 2022 but has been teaching there since 2014.
“I received notes from students after graduation thanking me for conversations we had that helped them push through,” Dr. Bird said. “I just hired two of my former students to come work at the school with me as teachers. If you go into education to help people change the trajectory of their lives and you see that become a reality, it’s a really special thing.”
He hopes his work will continue making an impact locally.
“There’s something meaningful about wearing the ‘R’ with pride. It carries a certain esteem,” he said. “As someone who hires educators, the ones who have been through the GSE for a master’s program in teaching are always quality candidates.”
With experience from GSE behind him, Dr. Bird aims to influence issues such as teacher pay and school funding or mentor future educators as an adjunct instructor.
“I want to be in a position where my decisions create lasting, positive changes in schools,” he said. “Teaching is more challenging than ever, but I’m committed for the long haul. This isn’t just a job—it’s my calling.”
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