Matthew Kocher

Matthew Kocher has just wrapped up his fourth year as principal of Franklin Towne Charter Elementary School, and the lesson he returns to most often is one he had to unlearn. He assumed that strong leadership meant having every answer. Experience taught him that the surest way to help students learn is to create an environment in which teachers feel supported and equipped to do their best work.

Today, that conviction, grounded in servant leadership, shapes every decision he makes. He leads the school's overall direction, hires and supports staff, and builds a safe, inclusive culture where every student is encouraged to grow academically, socially and emotionally.

Building Trust Through Service

At Franklin Towne Charter Elementary School, Kocher makes his leadership visible by greeting students during morning arrival, visiting classrooms and remaining closely connected to daily school life. Teachers know they are trusted, students feel they belong and families see a school that cares for their children.

For Kocher, a school's mission cannot live only on a website or in a handbook. It has to be reflected in everyday moments, starting with ensuring that educators have what they need to succeed. Over time, he has learned that teachers do their best work when they are supported rather than simply managed. His role is to provide instructional coaching and resources, remove classroom obstacles and give teachers the autonomy to innovate while drawing on their experience to guide the school’s direction.

Franklin Towne serves a close-knit community and relationships built inside the school naturally continue outside it. Kocher often encounters families at sporting events, at the grocery store or at the Jersey Shore. When parents and students feel comfortable approaching him outside school hours, it reinforces Kocher's belief that the school is woven into the fabric of the community, not separate from it. Those relationships give students the confidence to persevere through difficult work, knowing the adults around them genuinely care about their success.

Empowering Teachers to Innovate

Franklin Towne's learning environment is shaped by intentional decisions. Every initiative begins with a simple question: Will this genuinely improve learning? A decade ago, innovation meant placing devices in students’ hands. Today, Kocher believes that innovation is not about chasing every new technology but finding the right balance between technology and traditional instructional practices, always guided by what best serves students.

“ When educators know that their school leader values, supports and believes in them, they are empowered to do their best work and create greater opportunities for students to succeed. “

While school leaders set the direction, teachers remain the core instructional experts. The school's most meaningful investment has been creating a culture where teachers are encouraged to share ideas, learn from one another and exercise their professional judgment. This trust and autonomy enable teachers to create engaging, meaningful learning experiences for students.

Kocher’s experience alongside respected administrators has reinforced his belief that the strongest leaders are not necessarily the smartest people in the room, but those who remain humble, listen with intention and create opportunities for others to contribute their expertise.

Every school day reinforces that lesson. Teachers juggle instruction, student needs, family communication and countless responsibilities that often go unnoticed. A morning might begin by celebrating a first grader's excitement, shift to supporting a concerned parent and then move straight into a conversation with a teacher. Each interaction calls for the same patience, professionalism and empathy. Kocher believes that understanding these daily realities is one of the most important responsibilities of school leadership.

A principal’s greatest impact is never defined by title alone, but by the trust earned from teachers, students and families. When educators know that their school leader values, supports and believes in them, they are empowered to do their best work and create greater opportunities for students to succeed. With that belief at the center of his leadership, Kocher remains committed to strengthening relationships, supporting educators and ensuring every student has the resources needed to reach their full potential.