Sean Cox, the popular Cranbury School gym teacher who lost his job in June, is off to a big start at his new school.
Cox performed a benefit concert last Friday which raised $1.6 million for his new employer, Franklin High School in Somerset, N.J. Nearly 30,000 people attended the concert, which was held at Rutgers Stadium.
According to administrators at the high school, Cox raised enough money to restore the school’s music program. The program had been cut from next year’s curriculum due to a budget shortfall.
“We knew we were getting a talented teacher in Mr. Cox,” said Dr. Neely Hackett, principal at the school. “But for this young man to have such an immediate impact on our school and our community is downright inspiring.”
Dr. Hackett confirmed Cox will teach gym class and coach the school’s championship wrestling team. He also noted Cox was given a 25% pay increase upon joining the high school’s faculty.
Cox said he was surprised and humbled by the reception at his new school.
“A lot of people in this community don’t have much to give, and yet their generosity was stunning,” he said. “I was a little nervous starting all over again in a whole new school district, but now it’s clear I’ll finally have a chance to spread my wings and do great things.”
Cox taught gym at the Cranbury School for three years, but was not hired back for the 2010-2011 year, apparently due to musical differences between he and John Haney, principal of the Cranbury School. In addition to his teaching duties, Cox was a mainstay at the school’s talent shows and other community events.
Cox confirmed he will perform a second benefit concert in August to try to salvage the school’s science and math programs. The teacher also acknowledged he will use that second concert reprise his new hip-hop number, “Rich White People Whine Too Much.”
News of Cox’s successful landing caught some Cranbury influencers by surprise.
“He raised over one million dollars for them?” asked one member of the Cranbury Township Board of Education, upon hearing the news. “Wow. Imagine how many SmartBoards we could buy with that kind of money.”
Cranbury School’s Haney could not be reached for comment.
Photo: Sean Cox performs a benefit concert for Franklin High School. The concert raised $1.6 million.
