Hometown Educator Comes Full Circle: Dr. Felicia Hyman-Medley Brings Pleasantville Roots to Superintendent’s Office
Photo of Dr. Felicia Hyman-Medley courtesy of Juanita Hyman
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
PLEASANTVILLE — For Dr. Felicia Hyman-Medley, becoming superintendent of Pleasantville Public Schools is about much more than reaching the top of the educational leadership ladder, it is about coming home.
Born and raised in Pleasantville, Hyman-Medley has spent much of her professional life helping shape the educational experiences of children in the same community that helped shape her.
Now, approximately four months into her tenure as superintendent, she has the opportunity to lead the school district where her own journey began.
Her appointment represents a significant milestone for Pleasantville. According to her biography, she is the first superintendent of the city’s public schools who was born and raised in Pleasantville.
It is a distinction that carries considerable personal meaning for an educator whose professional career has been closely intertwined with the community she calls home.
When Hyman-Medley assumed the superintendency effective Aug. 1, she brought with her more than 25 years of experience in education and an institutional knowledge that few outside candidates could match.
She knows the city’s neighborhoods, understands the experiences of its families and has spent decades working alongside the educators responsible for preparing Pleasantville’s young people for the future.
In many respects, her appointment represents the culmination of a journey that began more than two decades ago.
Hyman-Medley joined the Pleasantville school district in 2001 as an elementary school teacher. Over the years, she took on increasingly significant responsibilities, serving as an adult evening school and English as a Second Language instructor, assistant principal at the middle and high schools, principal and assistant superintendent.
For a hometown educator, the responsibilities of the superintendency also carry a personal connection. The students walking through Pleasantville’s school doors are members of the same community in which she grew up, and their opportunities for success are closely connected to the future of the city itself.
Her commitment to that community is reflected in the philosophy she has shared about her leadership.
Hyman-Medley believes transparency and collaboration must be central to the work of the school district. She wants students to receive the skills and knowledge necessary to become productive citizens while being encouraged to reach their fullest potential.
She also emphasizes the importance of maintaining safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments where every child has an opportunity to thrive.
Her approach recognizes that successful schools cannot operate in isolation. Parents, teachers, administrators, students and the broader community all have a role in building an educational system that responds to the needs of its children.
That philosophy is particularly meaningful in a community where relationships and local connections are an important part of the educational experience.
Hyman-Medley’s roots in Pleasantville extend beyond her professional life. She is the daughter of newly elected Egg Harbor Township Committeewoman Juanita Hyman, a retired registered nurse and nurse practitioner. Her sisters are Dr. LaKecia Hyman, an assistant superintendent in Atlantic City, and Ashlee Gomez, a technology teacher.
She and her husband, Lamar Medley Sr., are also raising three children: Liyana, Lamar Jr. and Londyn.
Education and public service have clearly been important parts of her family’s story, and her own career reflects a sustained commitment to helping others.
Her professional accomplishments have also earned recognition throughout South Jersey and beyond.
Among her honors are Teacher of the Year in 2004 and Administrator of the Year in 2013. She received recognition from state Assembly members for youth advocacy in 2018 and was honored by the National Association of Business and Professional Women in 2019.
Other distinctions include recognition as a Black Girl Rocks South Jersey Style honoree in 2019, a New Jersey Coalition for a Safe Community honoree in 2020 and an Educational Visionary honoree from the National Fraternity of Kappa Alpha Psi in 2023.
Those honors reflect a career that has extended beyond the traditional boundaries of the classroom and school administration.
Still, perhaps the most meaningful recognition is the opportunity to lead the district in the community where her journey began.
For Hyman-Medley, the challenge now is to build on the work of those who came before her while helping Pleasantville’s schools prepare for the next generation.
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