This August, Highland Middle School will welcome a familiar Highland face as it’s new principal: Ryan Judge. Judge currently serves as the assistant principal at the Highland High School and is replacing retiring Middle School principal Daniel Wetzel.
Although not a graduate of the District, Judge has some deep roots in the community. He was born and raised in Highland for the first few years of his life. Both of his parents, two of his siblings, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents are Highland High School graduates. Judge joined the Highalnd pack in 2018 when he discovered that William Zimmer, his former high school English teacher and the previous assistant principal of HHS, had become the building’s principal.
Judge brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He previously served as dean of students for the Enlarged City School District of Middletown, where he oversaw educational and disciplinary decisions for nearly 600 high school students and supervised approximately 20 instructional and 15 non-instructional staff members.
He is a nationally recognized educational expert who advises multiple state and national associations and organizations. In addition to being the author of two books on education, Getting Students Seasoned and Club Funding Smarter Not Harder, he authored a curriculum workbook to accompany a middle-level textbook for Goodheart-Wilcox Publishing that is due to be released next year.
Judge holds a Bachelor of Science in Family & Consumer Sciences Teacher Education from Johnson & Wales University, a Master of Professional Studies in Humanistic & Multicultural Education from the State University of New York at New Paltz, and a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Building Leadership from Niagara University.
A teacher at Millbrook Middle School for more than 8 years, Judge is looking forward to working with Middle School students once again. “I absolutely love the complexity of the middle-level learner. Middle school is a unique time in a child’s development, and it takes a special kind of person to be a successful middle-level educator. Either you love it or you don’t. There is no in between. And I love it!” he said.
Judge said he is very excited to take on his new role. “Over the past few years, Highland Middle School has been making great strides in the areas of school culture and instructional strategies. I am looking forward to working with their loving and caring staff to continue to move the building and the District forward.”