Dr. Dooley named 23-24 Atlantic County Superintendent of the Year
ABSECON — Absecon Public Schools is proud to announce that Superintendent Dr. Daniel J. Dooley has been named the 2023-2024 Atlantic County Superintendent of the Year, as selected by his peers on the Atlantic County Association of School Administrators.
“I am truly honored to be recognized as Superintendent of the Year by the ACASA, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to represent the collective knowledge, devotion, and passion of my peers,” Dr. Dooley said.
“After experiencing a life-threatening health scare earlier this year at the same time as my wife was giving birth to our first child, I am so thankful for the continued support, assistance and commitment from every person at Absecon Public Schools, from the Absecon Board of Education, to my administrative team, to our dedicated teaching and support staff, and beyond. Without them, this honor would not be possible.
Dooley continued, “I am and have always been committed to creating an educational environment where all children can - not just learn - but thrive, and we will continue to do so for all the children of Absecon.”
The ACASA announced that Dooley was the recipient of this award at its end-of-year meeting Thursday, June 8 at Sweetwater Riverdeck in Mullica Township. Dooley is the first superintendent from Absecon to receive this honor.
ACASA President Robin Chieco, Superintendent of Hammonton Public Schools, said that Dr. Dooley was selected for this award because he demonstrated leadership for learning, communication, professionalism, and community involvement.
“The organization also recognized Dr. Dooley’s commitment and efforts in our continued work towards increasing programs of equity and equality and professional development opportunities as the county representative for the Leadership Diversity state committee,” Chieco said. “We look forward to his continued leadership within our organization.”
Dooley has been Superintendent of Absecon Public Schools since July of 2018, and has been a K-12 administrator for the last 15 years.
At Absecon, Dooley continues his work regarding school climate and culture, and is devoted to providing the best educational opportunities for all students as evident in the district's efforts in English Language Arts, Mathematics, STEAM, Performing Arts, additional electives, and after school programming.
He is the Atlantic County liaison for the New Jersey Association of School Administrators’ (NJASA) NJ Consortium for Excellence Through Equity (NJCEE) - a collaboration between the NJASA and University of Pennsylvania. Dooley said he is proud to have led the effort to have all 40 public school districts in Atlantic County join the NJCEE, becoming the second county in New Jersey to do so.
Striving to improve educational outcomes and a positive school climate, Dooley has long been passionate about the use of therapy dogs in education. When he came to Absecon, he instituted a therapy dog program with his dogs, Skye and Hope, which are certified as therapy animals through Pet Partners. Since then, Dooley has worked with other districts, such as Hammonton and Egg Harbor Township, to implement their own therapy dog programs and has given several presentations to mentor other educational leaders, both locally and nationally, on the benefits of therapy dogs.
Dooley received his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy from Seton Hall University, master's degree in Educational Leadership from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and bachelor's degree in English/Education from LaSalle University.
In addition to his role in Absecon, Dooley oversees the NYS-required professional development course for The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) at College of Staten Island, the City University of New York, and is Chairperson for the Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals.
Dooley currently serves as the treasurer of the Atlantic County Association of School Administrators and next year will serve as the vice president.