Growing up, half of Michael McGhee’s family attended Atlantic City High School, and half attended Holy Spirit High School, Absecon. McGhee went to Holy Spirit from 1984 to 1988, and the school has held a special place in his heart ever since.
“This building and this community have always been special to my family and me,” he said. “I always thought that if there was a chance to go back and be an educator in this community, I would love to do it.”
Now, as McGhee prepares to open his first school year as principal at his alma mater, he considers his new role to be a blessing.
“Jesus calls us to serve in many ways,” he said, “and at this point in my life, I felt this was my way to serve others.”
After graduating from Holy Spirit, McGhee earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal law and justice from Rowan University, Glassboro, and went on to earn a master’s degree in special education as well as a teacher of the handicapped certification from Jersey City State University in 1996. He earned his second master’s degree – in administration and supervision – in 2002 from Montclair State University.
He began his lengthy career in education at the Bonnie Brae Residential School, Liberty Corner, where he served as a child care counselor, a member of the behavioral intervention staff and finally as a special education teacher. He went on to work for four years as a special education teacher and football coach at Cedar Grove High School in Essex County.
McGhee’s career then took him to the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District, where he worked for some 24 years. He worked for 11 years at Oakcrest High School as a special education teacher, coach, supervisor of special education and assistant principal, before spending a decade at Cedar Creek High School, at times serving as the athletic director, assistant principal and supervisor of arts. McGhee then returned to Oakcrest to serve as principal in 2021.
As he begins his tenure at Holy Spirit, McGhee wants to ensure that the school continues to be competitive, while also continuing to promote its Catholic identity.
“Students have so many options today of what high school they can attend, and I want to make sure Holy Spirit continues to have the offerings every other school does,” he said. “As a community grounded in our Catholic values, we believe in the power of education to transform lives and in the importance of providing our students with the resources they need to reach their fullest potential. Holy Spirit will not only prepare our students to transition to the next phase of their lives – but we will also lay the foundation for a life filled with purpose, meaning and service.”
He also looks forward to maintaining the strong sense of confidence that Holy Spirit students have in their school.
“I am most excited to work with our whole community and see the growth in our students when they succeed,” he said. “Holy Spirit is a community full of pride. Regardless of what year you attended, it’s always home for our past graduates, and I want our present-day students to feel the same way our alumni do.”
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