One more question. I saw something about Gifted and Talented programs in M.T. Do you know what grade the G&T program starts?

Also, do you know how many classes there are per grade, and what is the typical class size?

Thank you!
Shari

Thanks for dropping by Roxy’s Best Of… Mendham. I don’t have black and white answers to your questions, more like a pleasant shade of grey. I’ll also hope that others will jump in with their own comments.

Today our town votes on the 2009-10 school budget, and its passage (or not) will tell quite a bit about how supportive the community is of our schools. Last week, I attended a very well attended (standing room only) evening meeting that included the new (November) superintendent, the new (February) elementary school principal, the long-time middle school principal, the curriculum director and the director of special services. While I have some personal agenda issues that I will need to discuss privately with the administration, in that night’s public forum, everyone presented their case well for the benefits of passing the new budget, and assured us that our dollars will be well spent. They shared some statistics from the “school report cards” — a mixed bag that left me feeling great about the middle school (and I already feel great about my girls’ K-2 experience) but concerned about the 3rd/4th/5th grade transition period.

So… the new principal, Cara Allen. Ms. Allen has been in my two daughters’ classrooms frequently. My second-grader says she sees her every day, frequently in the classroom but also out in the hallways and participating in school events. My first-grader is not as enthusiastic, as she’s found a new laundry list of cafeteria rules to be oppressive. As for morale among the teachers, it is a bit too early to tell. I had encouraging conferences with both of my daughters’ teachers a few weeks back.

As for truly excellent teachers, we definitely have a great team. My two girls hav been enriched by their teachers from Kindergarten through 2nd Grade, though it is an important qualifier that we have no experience with the 3rd and 4th grades, other than not quite as positive word of mouth.

On volunteering in the schools and getting to know the teachers, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to volunteer in the classroom (helping out in the library during my daughters’ library days, field trips, class parties, “mystery reader,” Incredible Kid Day, Writer’s Workshops, and more). That may or may not be a function of grade level (the younger, the more interaction). So definitely not as high security as “go sell wrapping paper,” but I don’t believe parents are encouraged to act as “free aides” in the classroom at the other end of the spectrum…. and I don’t think I’d be all that comfortable with excessive influence of “someone else’s mom” on my children’s educational experience.

I’ll have to let my neighbors comment on the comparison with Mendham Borough schools. Since leaving New York City’s West Village in October 2003, I have enjoyed every day of the 5+ years that our family has spent in Mendham Township… it is truly a wonderful place to raise kids….and as you’ll find throughout my web site(s), there’s a lot of fun for grown-ups, too!

Roxy

Also, are parents allowed to volunteer at MT elementary, or do they have more of a high security, pta-go-sell-giftwrap-outside-of-school type of culture? In other words, do you get to know your childrens’ teachers, and have a chance to contribute to their educational experience?

Are MT schools as good as Mendham Borough?

Is MT a great place to live for families with elementary-and-beyond agaed children?

Thank you, Roxy and anyone who would like to comment!

Mr. Craver was basically forced out….ask the teachers. An enlightened dedicated educator, the reality is that the MT BOE is run by people who do not have the first clue about how to run a school or how to prepare kids for the future. They are not curious. How many principals and supers have to leave? No organization can improve with the rapid and constant change in leadership. It is a huge loss for our kids, staff morale, the future. Michael Craver was a great Principal. But how much can you take from extreme parents and BOE members.

Ask a teacher at MT what curriculum the school has for reading, writing, math. They can’t tell you because they don’t have one. Nice job Christine Johnson.

Nice job BOE.

I’m working on a new post that expresses more of my own opinion than facts or answers; as promised earlier, I want to continue to stay away from idle speculation but I’d also like to make it clear whose side I’m on here…the side of the children, who are confused and saddened to find their beloved Principal Craver gone with no real explanation.

Over the past year, though, I began to have some hesitations that Craver was a “nine-to-fiver,” particularly when compared with our former Superintendent Christine Johnson and her tireless enthusiasm for best practices in education.