By Mark Tyler
Atlantic City School District
Diane Saunders has been a cornerstone of the Atlantic City Public Schools system for more than five decades.
Born and raised in Atlantic City to Willie Lee and Wilma Badgley, she attended local schools and graduated from Atlantic City High School in 1968.
She attended then-Virginia State College — university — earning her bachelor's degree in elementary education with honors as a cum laude graduate. Later, she obtained her master’s degree in Supervision and Administration from Rutgers University.
Saunders now serves as director of Human Resources. Her career reflects unwavering dedication, resilience and an enduring passion for education. Her time in the district has been marked by significant contributions to the education and development of countless students.
“Ms. Saunders’ unwavering commitment and exceptional contributions to our Human Resources Department have been instrumental in shaping the success and well-being of countless educators and staff members,” Superintendent Dr. La'Quetta Small said. “Her career, spanning over half a century, is a testament to her outstanding professionalism, integrity and tireless dedication to the betterment of our educational community.”
Saunders began her career in December 1972, a time when the educational landscape was vastly different.
“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do when I went to college,” Saunders recalled.
However, her ability to teach and inspire those around her soon became evident. Guided by supportive teachers and inspired deeply by her aunt, Dr. Barbara L. Saunders — also a teacher and professor — Saunders found her calling in education.
“Over time, I found that I liked helping people and teaching people,” she said.
Saunders began her career as a fifth-grade teacher at Indiana Avenue School, and later worked at Massachusetts Avenue School.
The challenges were immense.
During her early years, she dealt with large class sizes of 38 to 39 students and severely outdated resources, including science books dating back to the 1940s.
Despite these obstacles, Saunders’ commitment never wavered.
“It was a regular routine for me to purchase supplementary supplies and additional resources for my classroom instructional lessons,” she said. “During my early years as a teacher, there was no technology, no telephones, no televisions, or intercom systems in my classroom.”
She would arrive at school early to be among the first to use a hand-crank mimeograph machine to copy worksheets for her students.
“I had no access to modern equipment such as a Xerox machine,” Saunders said. “One of the good things that happened during my early teaching days was that students went home for lunch, and teachers had no lunch duty assignments.”
Saunders’ career includes a series of groundbreaking leadership roles.
She became the first African American female Vice Principal at Chelsea Junior High School, a significant milestone in her journey.
For most of the 1990s, Saunders was principal of the Dr. Martin L. King Jr. School Complex — formerly the Westside Complex — that included both school and community components.
With an enrollment of more than 850 students from grades K-7, the complex also housed a dental and medical clinic, a human resources center, an Olympic-sized pool, Head Start Program, a weight room, a media center, a dance studio, theater in the round and a gymnasium with seating for more than 3,800 people.
Saunders managed to balance instructional and community responsibilities, ensuring the success of the bustling community school.
She credited her administrative support staff with helping to make it all possible.
Vice Principal Sarah King worked primarily with the educational component, while Neighborhood/Community Coordinator Wilbert “Huff” Royal effectively managed the community segment.
“The complex was a bustling community hub from the early ringing of the school bell to the 10:00 p.m. closing,” Saunders said.
She became principal of Chelsea Heights Elementary School in September of 1999, leading grades K-8 with an enrollment of 400 students and a staff of 50. Before her leadership, the school was one of the lowest-performing in the district.
“Under my leadership, with support from my vice principal, Gabrielle Caldwell, the school ascended to the highest academic performance elementary school in the district and was recognized as a Turn-Around School,” Saunders said.
“I will always remember my excitement with goosebumps running down my arms while I read the letter from the New Jersey Department of Education that my school was awarded the 2004-2005 NJ Governor’s School of Excellence Award for high academic achievement,” Saunders said. “I became emotional when I was informed that the school was also honored with the state’s 2004-2005 New Jersey Title 1 Distinguished School Award and the National Title 1 Distinguished School Award, along with the NJ School Benchmark Award for two consecutive years.”
From 2003-2006, Chelsea Heights attained the highest State Standard Assessment scores of all the elementary schools in Atlantic City.
In 2010, Saunders was appointed director of Human Resources and district Affirmative Action officer.
She led efforts to digitize the department’s processes and streamline operations with technological innovations.
She was District Director of the Year for 2023-2024.
A pivotal moment in Saunders’ professional development came with the Comer School Development Program, introduced to the district by former Superintendent Dr. R. Mark Harris.
The program provided a structured framework for running an efficient and effective school, emphasizing academic goals, social-emotional support for students, and a comprehensive parental involvement structure.
“It was the most impactful professional development for me,” Saunders notes, highlighting its lasting influence on her approach to her principal leadership style.
Over the decades, Saunders was engaged in numerous speaking engagements, but she was most honored and proud when the New Jersey Department of Education invited her to speak at their seminars.
Some of these speaking engagements included:
“I was so honored that the state recognized me for my instructional leadership expertise,” Saunders said.
Saunders remains an active member of the Atlantic City community.
An avid tennis player, she spent years playing at the Seaside Tennis Courts and was a member of the Seaside Tennis Club. She also mentored neighborhood children through the Seaside Junior Tennis Development Program.
A lifetime member of Second Baptist Church and a Golden Soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Theta Kappa Omega Chapter, Saunders has been extensively involved in local service initiatives.
“I feel humbled and fortunate to have moved through the district in various career positions and utilize my skills and talents for the betterment of the district,” she said. “I extend many thanks and much appreciation to my family, friends, colleagues and district staff members who still support me as I continue to travel my plus 50-year educational career journey. God is foremost in my life and I know nothing is possible without him.”
Her advice to new educators is straightforward: “Truly learn the profession, be thorough in understanding your position, and establish a treasure chest of instructional strategies and innovations to move your students to a high academic level.”
As she looks to the future, Saunders hopes her legacy will be one of resilience, dedication and commitment to the educational attainment of her students. “Whenever the topic is student achievement, my favorite adage is, ‘No child rises to low expectations.’”
