By Mary Ann McGann
Dr. Elizabeth Nastus comes from a family of educators. Her mother was a middle school math teacher who retired at 75. One sister was an assistant superintendent; another, a speech pathologist. A third was a school nurse. Yet, as a young college graduate, Nastus initially decided against teaching.
“It was the end of the 1960s and I was frustrated because, during my student teaching, there was no flexibility in adjusting programs to meet individual student needs. I did not believe that one program fit all,” she says. “Then I had the opportunity to take an elective, by default, in a relatively new field – special education – as part of my master’s program. As I sat in the course and listened to the other students talk enthusiastically about what they were learning, I knew this was what I wanted to do.”
Nastus began her career in Edison in 1968 as a special education teacher. In the years following, she served as a psychometrist, analyzing and interpreting district test and Title I data in Woodbridge; was an adjunct teacher at Rutgers University; spent 17 years in private practice as a learning disabilities teacher/consultant; and supervised the child study team in the Green Brook School District.
“In my 30+ years as an educator, I am most proud of the commitment and dedication of the teachers and staff I have met, and continue to meet, in my career,” she says.
In 1992, Nastus became Director of Special Services/Vice Principal in the Mine Hill School District where, among many responsibilities, she advocated for and supervised an inclusive education pilot program. Two years later, she moved to the Glen Ridge School District in a similar capacity.
“Education’s biggest challenge is preparing all students to be successful in life and to make a positive difference in society,” says Nastus.
From 1997 to 2013, the New Jersey native, who grew up in the Sixth Ward of New Brunswick, served as Superintendent – starting in Hope Township before moving on to Clinton Township where she successfully addressed the thorny issue of student population growth and overcrowded schools.
“We involved community and staff members to review the district’s building capacities and analyze current and future enrollment trends,” says Nastus. “Based upon the recommendations of the Community Advisory Committee, a referendum was successfully passed and the Clinton Township Middle School was opened to students in grades 7 and 8 in 2006.”
Nastus retired in 2013 after five years as Superintendent of the Delaware Valley Regional High School District. As interim superintendent of Warren Township Schools, she hopes to help the district and the community navigate the issue of declining enrollment.
“My role as interim superintendent is to maintain and to continue the district’s educational path and to assist the district’s review of declining enrollment,” she says. “The bond between the school district and the community is critical to the success of any district. When parents, and the community at large, are positive and supportive of the school system, students within the educational environment flourish.”
Nastus and her husband, Louis, have five children, three of whom work in education as well. She says she looks forward to a rewarding year in Warren Township.
“I am honored to be part of the Warren Township School District. The district’s strong reputation is the reason I wanted to be here.”
Dr. Elizabeth Nastus, interim superintendent of Warren Township Schools
Photo Credit: Mary Ann McGann
