At its June 25 meeting, the Frelinghuysen Township School Board of Education took a little less than 20 minutes to complete a process that began months ago: approving the school’s strategic plan.
Back in February, educational consultant Kathy Helewa presented the board with the steps to complete the plan. The process involved three public meetings with staff, families and community members invited. Helewa combined the input from those three sessions to create a list of the school community’s priorities, working with board members to refine and revise it.
With the board’s vote, the strategic plan is now complete. It will guide the school’s decision-making for the next several years.
The short-ish document breaks the school’s strategic goals into four main categories.
- Goal 1: Supporting Our Students — This goal emphasizes the use of community partnerships to create an education that instills critical thinking, exposes students to practical skills and experiences, and maintains high, well-rounded performance.
- Goal 2: Supporting Our Staff — Here, the school pledges to provide its teachers with useful educational resources, effective professional development, and opportunities to collaborate with fellow educators.
- Goal 3: Facilities — Nobody learns well in a decrepit environment. This goal entails not only maintaining, but improving the campus so that it is modern, energy-efficient, secure and aesthetically pleasing.
- Goal 4: Financial Opportunities — Funding cuts have been an ongoing challenge for FTS. This goal outlines strategies for raising funds by continuing grant applications, advocating for more educational funding at the state and federal level, and considering an educational foundation. It also encourages saving resources by sharing services and resources with other schools.
The priorities reflect a balance that has grown increasingly difficult to maintain for the board: maintaining high standards for students while coping with several consecutive years of funding cuts. As the strategic plan states, the goal is to create “the best educational program that its resources allow.”
Board Vice President Lori Anne Swistak found the process gratifying. “I have to say that it was really very informative. I felt like a real board member, a real community member, when we participated in the strategic planning meetings,” she said. “And I think this document reflects how the community sees our school, how the teachers see our school, and how we as board members see our school, where the future lies. I’m really proud of it.”
Now that the plan is set, board members will use it to create annual district and board goals, while school staff will draw from it to create annual action plans for the next five years. Chief School Administrator Jarlyn Veras already has some ideas percolating, including a career fair next year to address the first goal.
The final plan should be uploaded soon to the school’s website.
New Mixed-Age Model for Pre-K and Kindergarten
The board had a ready example of combining the goals of academic rigor and frugality. Starting next year, FTS will implement a mixed-age model for its early childhood education program, combining pre-K and kindergarten into the same classroom.
The model has been used successfully elsewhere; Montessori schools famously combine different ages in the classroom. The nearby charter school uses this model. Veras pointed to research that shows benefits for both older students, who get the chance to act as role models, and younger students, who benefit from experiencing more sophisticated behaviors and play styles. The rotating, play-based curriculum will also reportedly offer more opportunities for differentiation.
“We’ve seen it be very successful in other areas,” Veras said. “For us right now, it’s really a creative way to, one, give a developmentally appropriate program to students, and also be fiscally responsible.”
FTS already hosted one information session about the new early childhood setup. Another session will be held on Thursday, Aug. 28.
Chip O'Chang is an educator, fiction writer, and lifelong resident of New Jersey. He has also written for My Life Publications and NJ Indy. He lives in the NJ Skylands with his partner, two cats, and and a bearded dragon.
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
