Montclair Promotes Principal Putrino From Elementary to Middle School

Glenfield Middle School has a new principal, but not one that's new to the district.

The Montclair Board of Education approved making Northeast Elementary School Principal Joseph Putrino the new Glenfield principal at a special board meeting held Monday night in the Montclair High School Auditorium.

David Cummings was the only board member to vote against Superintendent of Schools Penny MacCormack’s recommendation.

Putrino has worked in the district for 13 years, starting out as a middle school teacher at Renaissance School.

MacCormack said Putrino is well-suited to lead Glenfield, a sixth through eighth grade school with a Visual Arts and Performance theme.

“He actually taught science and art, now that’s a unique combination,” she said.

Prior to serving as principal at Northeast, Putrino was an assistant principal at Hillside Elementary School.

In his remarks, Putrino said he was “flattered” to get the recommendation.

Former Glenfield Principal Charlie Miller resigned in May after an incident involving a student bringing a BB gun to the school was “mishandled”, MacCormack said at the time.

Miller was removed from the school on April 29 during the investigation.

Supporters of Miller created a petition on Change.org asking the district to reinstate the popular principal. Miller has since been hired by Verona Public Schools. 

Montclair Patch ran a Q&A with Putrino when he took over Northeast in 2010. Learn more about the new Glenfield Principal here.