Montclair Community Pre-K Executive Director Steps Down

Longtime Montclair Community Pre-K executive director Eve Robinson will step down at the end of the current school year to pursue a new position at the Center for Child Advocacy and Public Policy at Montclair State University, the school announced Wednesday.

Robinson, who has nearly four decades experience in education, child welfare and advocacy, served the Montclair Pre-K for the past 12 years, helping the school achieve national recognition for its approach to education and strengthening families.

Robinson's tenure with the Montclair Community Pre-K ends June 30, the last day of the school year.

"It was a hard decision. I've been there for 12 years and I think the school is in a very good place. It's a very strong program," Robinson said during a short telephone interview Wednesday. "Something fell into my lap from Montclair State and I decided to take it."

In joining Montclair State as the manager of the NJ Child Welfare Training Partnership, Robinson returns to her career roots. Robinson has worked in the training field at multiple universities in the past. She'll also have the opportunity to teach as an adjust instructor in child advocacy.

But, she said, it won't be the same. Robinson said her 12 years at community pre-k likely represent the longest tenure of her career. What kept her in one spot so long, she said, were the children and being able to have a positive impact on the community.

"These are the best 12 years of my career, definitely," she said. "It was a pleasure to work in my own community and to make a difference here. I live here, I raised my children here.

"We have educated about a third of the children in the Montclair School District. We are very proud of the students who have gone to the school. We've created a resource for parents with young children. We offer education, but also support. It's just a very important institution in the town." 

And Robinson is confident the school's positive impact on the community will continue, despite her departure.

The Montclair Community Pre-K was established in 1998 and offers early childhood education for up to 250 three and four year olds. Taking over for Robinson will be Carolyn DeVito, who was named interim executive director by the school's board of trustees.

DeVito has been with the school since it opened, serving as a lead teacher and master teacher before assuming her current role of assistant executive director in 2003.

"As we work to identify an exceptional candidate to lead our school, we are confident that under the interim leadership of Carolyn DeVito, we will continue to fulfill our mission of offering quality pre-school education to the children of Montclair, regardless of the financial circumstances of their families," Board of Trustees Chairman Sean Flynn said in a release.

Robinson said her decision to leave the school after 12 years wasn't an easy one. Though it came as a surprise to the board and the staff, Robinson, who declined to give her age but said she is of retirement age, said her new role comes with less responsibility and is more indicative of the kind of work she'd like to continue moving forward.

"I will take all the love that I've received from the Montclair families and the children to my new position," she said. "It will be very challenged and it will be very different. The atmosphere will be very different with no children around and I'm very sad to be leaving, quite frankly.

"This was the place where I hung my hat and it just stuck."