Dr. Thomas F. Butler joined the Somerville Public School district as interim superintendent of schools on July 1, 2010. Dr. Butler is an experienced administrator holding a Doctorate in Educational Administration and Supervision from Rutgers University. He has served as interim superintendent in a variety of K-12 school districts in northern New Jersey.

In his role as interim superintendent, Dr. Butler will assist the Somerville Public School district in continuing its mission to nurture intellectual achievement and civic responsibility. The district recognizes that parents and guardians are the primary educators of their children and that a meaningful home-school partnership is the key to a child's success in school and in life. The school community looks forward to working with families in the successful pursuit of the mutual goal: to foster the well-being of students and to provide for their academic, social, emotional, civic, and physical development.

The Board of Education and the staff accept the following charges to achieve the goal of quality education for all:

1. To promote students' mastery of learning, thinking, and problem-solving skills, including providing the tools for self-expression, communication, and 21st century life and career skills as defined by the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and the Common Core State Standards.

2. To meet the developmental needs of children, particularly the needs to inquire, learn, think, create, and to relate well to others in social situations involving family, work, government, and recreation.

3. To acknowledge the importance of the primary role of the home and the supplemental role of social institutions in establishing habits and attitudes that lead to positive personal choices, optimum physical and mental health, and sound ethical decisions.

This educational philosophy is integrated throughout the district's PreK-12 curriculum programs and is captured in the Somerville Public School district's Mission Statement: