Dear Haddonfield School District Community,

It is a privilege to serve as the Director of Special Education for the Haddonfield School District. I am deeply grateful to work alongside such dedicated educators, staff, administrators, families, and community members.

With over a decade of experience in education as a teacher, vice principal, and special education director, I bring a servant leadership approach grounded in compassion, inclusion, and collaboration. My academic background includes a doctorate in Curriculum, Teaching, Learning, and Leadership and a law degree from Rutgers University.

I believe in the power of a child-centered, whole-child approach to education where every student is supported to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. My greatest joy comes from celebrating the achievements of students who discover their own potential, often surpassing what they thought possible.

Together, I look forward to continuing our shared mission of creating an inclusive, empowering environment where every child can thrive.

Warm regards,
Dana Blair, Ed.D., J.D.
Director of Special Education

It is my honor to serve the Haddonfield Public School District as the Assistant Superintendent of Schools. Throughout my 30 years in public school education, 20 of those in Haddonfield, engaging with the school community to ensure the best possible educational experiences for students has been at my core.

Since beginning my tenure as Assistant Superintendent on July 1, 2020, I have been responsible for the day-to-day operations that uphold the district’s tradition of excellence. This includes overseeing the operations of Haddonfield, an A+ rated district (Niche.com) which is proudly ranked as the #1 public school district in Camden County and in the top 0.2% of public school districts in America. I also serve key governance and liaison roles as the Administrative Chairperson of the Board of Education Policy and Curriculum Committees, the district’s Homeless Liaison, District Testing Coordinator, and the Affirmative Action Officer. In 2024, the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies further recognized me for my dedication to professional excellence as a 2024 ABCT Champion.

My public school career started in Cherry Hill, N.J., as a teacher of special education in both resource and in-class support at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. I was proud to have been part of a team that initiated co-teaching at the elementary level and honored that our innovative work in special education and technology was recognized on the educational television program “Classroom Close-Up N.J.”I began my administrative tenure as the principal of the Barclay Early Childhood Center and later at Woodcrest Elementary, both part of the Cherry Hill Public School District. 

I joined the administrative team in Haddonfield in 2005 as principal of J.F. Tatem Elementary. After six years, I took over the principalship at our middle school, where my focus on students with special needs resulted in 18- and 21-point gains, respectively, in the areas of Language Arts and Mathematics on the NJASK. In July 2014, I took over as Director of Special Education. In collaboration with our excellent teachers and team members, we significantly expanded the continuum of services we provide our students, responding to the evolving needs of our student population. Our commitment to ensure that students are educated and supported in the “least restrictive environment” helped Haddonfield to be the only school district in New Jersey to be honored for Spotlight Recognition from All In for Inclusive Education (formerly NJ Coalition for Inclusive Schools). 

My wife Dawn, a former N.J. educator, and I are proud parents of four whose ages span post-college to elementary school. I earned my BA in Special Education from Rowan University, where I was a member of the baseball team, and earned my master’s and doctorate degrees from Temple University. 

It is truly a privilege to have the opportunity to continue to serve the needs of the Haddonfield Public School District community as Assistant Superintendent.

For more than thirty years, I have been honored to serve the students of the Haddonfield School District community. The journey to my current position has been long, taking many turns and involving a variety of roles.

I landed in Haddonfield in the early 1990s as an English teacher and wrestling coach. I spent fifteen years in these roles as well as coaching and advising a variety of other student activities. I look back at this time in the classroom as the most enjoyable and valuable learning experience of my life. I left the classroom in 2008 to accept the position of Assistant Principal at HMHS. After a few years, I was transferred to serve as Principal of Central Elementary for a one-year term.  In 2011, I returned to HMHS and assumed the role of Principal. This was a challenging position that afforded another opportunity for professional growth.  In September 2018, I was appointed Acting Assistant Superintendent and subsequently became Assistant Superintendent.  In May 2020, I became the Superintendent of Schools.

My most significant job in Haddonfield has been being the proud father of three children who attended Haddonfield schools.

My journey back and forth across the district to where I am now has caused me to view my responsibilities to my students through several different lenses. Although each step has moved me further from the joyous days of working side-by-side with students, I am grateful that my administrative roles enable me to positively impact the academic, social, and emotional growth of an increasing number of Haddonfield students.

February 2, 2026, is the deadline to express interest in securing a seat for one section (with a maximum of 25 students) of tuition-based, extended-day kindergarten (EDKP) at each elementary school. The annual tuition is $7,500; tuition assistance is available for those enrolled in the free/reduced lunch program. The tuition applies only to the extended-day portion of the program.

Click here for more information.

At the August 22 meeting of the Board of Education, Dr. Gino Priolo, Director of Special Education, made a presentation about the Special Education audit held during the last school year. He reviewed the audit and its recommendations, describing what has been completed and what will be addressed this year.

The Haddonfield Sun wrote a detailed article about the presentation and Dr. Priolo’s follow-up comments.

Dr. Priolo’s presentation to the Board

Dr. Priolo’s “Summary of 2019 Audit Recommendations” presentation

Friends, we are proud to share this video with you, created by the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education (NJCIE). It was shot in our classrooms in May and shown at the NJCIE conference on June 25th where Dr. Gino Priolo and our entire district were honored.

As originally reported in April when the award was announced, and again in the June issue of the district newsletter, Haddonfield Schools and Dr. Priolo were honored for inclusive special education programming. (The June issue is the next News story on this website.)