Trending
EBENSBURG -- Central Cambria Superintendent Jason Moore is committed to making the world of public education a better place for kids.
Moore, who joined Central Cambria as its curriculum director in 2014, also served as an elected member of the Greater Johnstown School Board from 2015-20.
He didn't anticipate becoming Central Cambria's acting superintendent when he was put into the position in 2017.
"The job kind of found me because of an unexpected opening," he said. "But I found that I enjoyed it, and I had a lot of support from the board and was given a contract after that."
In 2018, Moore started his first year as the district's superintendent. He was also appointed as the Greater Johnstown School Board president in the same year.
"The reason I ran for the school board was because I firmly believe in public education," Moore said, adding he also ran because his grandfather, Lee Moore, was a board member in Greater Johnstown in the 1950s and 1960s.
Greater Johnstown Superintendent Amy Arcurio said Moore is one of the most dedicated individuals she has had the pleasure of working alongside.
"He definitely strives, in whatever capacity he serves, to give 100 percent to the task at hand," Arcurio said.
Moore said he thought the Greater Johnstown School Board deserved someone who could be more engaged for the district and resigned from the board to devote himself to Central Cambria during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I think he's a brilliant leader who recognized that leading Central Cambria in the vision he had for that school district required more time," Arcurio said.
"The one thing I think is most great about Central Cambria is we offer something for everybody in terms of not just academic offerings, but extracurriculars," Moore said. "Keeping kids engaged mitigates mental health issues and teaches kids to work in groups and teams."
Thomas Woods, Central Cambria's school board president, was part of the interview team responsible for hiring Moore.
Woods said that, under Moore's leadership, Central Cambria has expanded its offerings in the arts, academic clubs and athletic teams.
"Prime examples of these include the girls wrestling program, esports team and robotics," he said.
"At his core, (Moore) is a dedicated educator," Woods said. "He cares deeply about students, and he takes his responsibilities as the leader of our district very seriously."
Woods said that Moore helps shape the district's culture by participating in every teacher, staff and leadership interview.
"Hiring the right people to work with students is a clear priority for Dr. Moore," Woods said.
"People want to work for smart, creative, energetic leaders," he said. "Dr. Moore's team likes working with him because he inspires them to be their best."
Central Cambria Middle School Principal Joseph Strittmatter said Moore's work ethic and dedication to the students' education are incredible.
"It is clear that he genuinely cares about the students and takes the time to be involved in their lives," Strittmatter said. "I believe that his leadership has been instrumental in shaping the success of our district."
Cambria Elementary School Principal Jennifer Mesoras said Moore's leadership has transformed the district into having a growth mindset.
"He makes a point to remind us daily about how important rapport is within the classroom and school building itself," she said.
"I am very much a believer that attitude reflects leadership. I have been here for 16 years, (and) the culture of our district is moving in a positive direction because of his leadership," Mesoras said. "We are very fortunate."
Moore said he went into education because of the many great teachers he had at Greater Johnstown, "especially my high school shop teacher, Lanny Dixon."
While he enjoyed teaching, he worked to get into administration because "I saw how big of an impact school leaders make," he said.
"I worked for some ineffective leaders who were good at managing tasks but were awful at dealing with people," he said. "Then, I worked for some great leaders, like Darren Buchko, who was the principal of Greater Johnstown Middle School at the time, and they led me into leadership myself."
Moore said his favorite part of being Central Cambria's superintendent is being able to witness the growth and success of the district's students.
"When the kids are getting off the bus to come to elementary school for kindergarten, I'm there to greet them. I'm also the person who, 13 years later, gets to hand them their diploma," Moore said.
"That's sort of the bittersweet portion of it, is saying goodbye to the kids who we've seen grow and achieve things."
The Moore file
Name: Jason Moore
Age: 45
Hometown: Tanneryville section of Johnstown
Education: Greater Johnstown High School, vocational student in the building trades program, 1995; bachelor's in secondary education (social studies) from University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown; Master of Education from California University of Pennsylvania with principal certification; Doctor of Education in administration and leadership studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Family: Wife, Melanie, is a special education teacher at Greater Johnstown Elementary School; daughters Kennedy, 16, and Chelsea, 11, are students at Central Cambria; two dogs, a golden retriever named Reese and a beagle named Beans.
Hobbies: Playing guitar and restoring collision-damaged cars.