Carol Herts and Deborah Marinsky are running for WW-P School Board because recent changes to the schools have reduced opportunities for students, in many ways.
The schools focus so heavily on the standardized tests that teachers can not enrich their classes. Time for science and social studies has been reduced in the elementary schools. The science a 9th grader can take has been restricted. Grammar and vocabulary are not being taught in the high schools, because teachers are not allowed to buy the red Sadlier books. All high school students have to have study hall, so kids in music can’t take as many academic courses as kids not in music.
In addition, Herts and Marinsky understand that many students find our school system especially stressful, and that there are a number of ways that the guidance counselors could help with that. Teaching students and parents how to recognize the signs of excessive stress, and stress reduction techniques will help. Simply eliminating mid-year and final exams, which the School Board did, just moves the stress to the other graded activities, and does not prepare our students for college, where they will face exams, and takes away an important learning tool. Reviewing material in preparation for a cumulative exam, studies have shown, moves information into long term memory.
Music teachers were told in September 2015 to lower their standards. They were told that performances do not matter, and practice logs signed by parents do not matter. When they asked the basis for these changes, the assistant superintendent yelled at them: Because I told you to! When some of the music teachers asked to meet with the superintendent, he would not meet with them. Soon after, music teachers started resigning. After six music teachers resigned, WW-P fired two more music teachers. The teachers fired were young, wonderful teachers loved by students and parents. They were also just about to get tenure. Firing teachers right before tenure has happened repeatedly in the last 3 years.
Teaching changes are constantly being forced on teachers. And teaching assignments change from year to year. Experienced teachers are assigned to teach courses in other subjects, not in their field. For instance, a humanities teacher will be assigned a science class to teach. This is their technique for forcing teachers out of WW-P. This technique is well known, and has been used by superintendents in other states to force teachers out.
All of these things hurt students.
Herts and Marinsky are also concerned about taxes being too high. The schools have been adding unnecessary administrators.
Herts and Marinsky believe we need consensus and transparency to move forward in a positive way. And a school board that will not simply say yes to everything the administration wants, but be a check and balance.
These are our schools, and Herts and Marinsky will work to make them better for all our students.
Tikva Carrick
West Windsor
