Administration

Ms. Dara Gronau
Principal
e: dgronau@somsd.k12.nj.us
p: (973) 378 - 7660 ext 3001

Principal Dara Crocker Gronau is a proud South Orange-Maplewood School District alumna (CHS 1998).  She believes deeply in our community, its values, and its schools.  Gronau is a resident and district parent with three children in our schools.   

Gronau was an editor of The Columbian and always loved English Language Arts.  She was an all-state and All American middle distance runner at Columbia.  Athletics taught her the importance of collaboration, discipline and perseverance.  She credits athletics as the first step in her path to leadership.

Gronau attended Vanderbilt University earning a dual degree in English and Psychology and ran Division 1 Track and Field there.  Upon graduation she became a High School English teacher in Newark Public Schools.  She later earned her Masters Degree in Educational Administration from Montclair State University.  She was accepted into the national principal preparation program New Leaders for New Schools (now known as New Leaders).

Gronau was a Vice Principal of West Side Academy in Newark Public Schools and later the principal of West Side High School. She then served as the K-12 district English Language Arts Supervisor for Ridgewood Public Schools.  

In August 2016 Gronau had the privilege of returning home to serve the community of South-Orange Maplewood School District as the principal of Maplewood Middle School.  She has served on numerous committees supporting the district’s equity and inclusion efforts and was the first Cambiar Systems leadership fellow in the district.  She is a member of numerous community organizations that uplift the community and support the African American community including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Jack and Jill of America, Inc.

 

Mr. Louis Brown
Assistant Principal
e: lbrown@somsd.k12.nj.us
p: (973) 378 - 7660 ext 3007

Assistant Principal Louis E. Brown has been working in the South Orange Maplewood School District since September 1990. Previously, Mr. Brown attended Teachers College Columbia University where he earned his MA in the Teaching of Social Studies.  Mr. Brown taught in the Social Studies department from 1990 until 1996.  In addition to being the social studies teacher in the Alternative Program for the at-risk population, Mr. Brown taught Economics, Sociology, US History, and AP US History.   Concurrent to his teaching, Mr. Brown successfully coached the Columbia High School swim team to 2 conference championships in the co-ed division.

In 1996, Mr. Brown became Dean of Students.  He served in this capacity until September of 2000 when he left SOMSD to become Middle School Principal of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union.  In September of 2002, Mr. Brown returned to the social studies classroom at Columbia High School until returning to the position of Dean of Students the following school year.  In March of 2006, after completing his MA in Administration at Montclair State University, Mr. Brown became Assistant Principal of Maplewood Middle School.

Mr. Peter Kassalow, Assistant Principal
Assistant Principal
e: pkassalo@somsd.k12.nj.us
p: (973) 378 - 7660 ext 3008

Peter Kassalow is an assistant principal at Maplewood Middle School (MMS). Kassalow completed his student teaching at Delia Bolden Elementary School before teaching mathematics at Warren Middle School. Since Fall 2022, he has taught special education at MMS, and he has completed the District’s Aspiring Leaders program.

Kassalow is an alumnus of Rutgers University where he completed his undergraduate degree in psychology in 2009, and his master’s degree in elementary education and special education. He earned his educational leadership certification at The College of New Jersey.

Kassalow, his wife, Christa, and two children, Emory and Quinn, are Maplewood residents. Mr. Kassalow grew up in Livingston, New Jersey where he attended Heritage Middle School, and his favorite subject was mathematics.