George Washington Middle School

1. George Washington Middle School More than meets the eye….

2. Leadership Team Dr. Kashmanian Taught at elementary and middle school levels. Former Executive VP and COO of private educational consulting firm with expertise in technology infusion and school reform, grades K – 12. Education includes Masters in Psychology, Masters in Education Administration, and Doctorate in School Leadership. Believes connecting with students is the way to gain respect and create a positive learning environment at the very complex middle level. Strengths included dealing with social/emotional well being of students, instructional reform, technology related issues, and passion for service work. Mrs. Hoffman Taught at elementary level. Education includes Masters in English and Masters in Education Administration. Passionate about English instruction. Strengths include knowing where students have come from (elementary background), how students learn best, assisting struggling learners, and communicating with all community members. Mrs. Hoffman is an avid reader and great listener! She runs the school’s Knitting Club! Ms. Moreland Taught at middle and high school level. Education includes Masters in Science, Masters in Education Administration, and (nearly completed) Doctorate in Science Education. Strengths include systems management, passion for science, working with struggling learners, expertise in science education, and knowing where students are headed (high school background). Ms. Moreland runs the school’s Game Club!

3. Student Population • Did you know…. • Students who live in group homes in town attend school at GW? • Students come to GW who don’t speak English? • Students who have lived around the world attend school here? • We have an extremely economically diverse population! • Students from over 8 different countries attend school at GW.

4. What does this mean? • Students enter a classroom with extreme differences in “readiness to learn” (based on life outside of school). • Students enter a classroom with huge differences in their background knowledge, ability to communicate, and home support network. • Students enter the school with major social/emotional issues that make it hard for them to learn.

5. What is the goal of a middle school education? Two Prongs: • Strong academic program to prepare students for the future. • Instruction in areas such as organization, study skills, and appropriate behavior.

6. Student Achievement(Standardized Tests) GW’s students consistently do as well as or better than their peers in District Factor Group J (towns with similar socio-economic backgrounds) in Mathematics, Science, and English as measured by the NJASK. GW’s student achievement has been increasing in the past several years in Mathematics and Science, and has remained high in English (which has always been strong at GW).

7. Biggest Teacher Struggles • Meeting the needs of diverse learners. • Helping students learn to be responsible while also helping them learn important lessons (not giving up). • Having enough time to give meaningful feedback to 125+ students, especially in English! • Developing professionally and improving practice.

8. Biggest School Struggles • Providing a rigorous academic experience for ALL students at ALL levels. • Dealing with the increasing number of social/emotional issues and problems students bring to school. • Homework! (Some parents say too little, some say too much – how do teachers find the time to grade/make assignments meaningful?) • Leadership (How to effectively lead a school to success with so much going on and so many differing child and adult needs and issues.) • Dealing with the digital world and how it impacts students. • Working in partnership with parents who have diverse expectations and demands. • Having to teach things that historically haven’t been taught at school, such a respect, manners, how to treat others, etc. • Trying to do more and more with less and less.

9. What Parents Say (Survey Results) • Homework is a problem (either too much or too little, depending on the parent). • Level of teaching is inconsistent (from great to poor). • Not enough extracurricular activities offered. • Mixed reviews on leadership of school (from great to poor).

10. The School’s View • Every year, we face the challenge of meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. A huge amount of administrative time is spent on the social/emotional needs of students and issues occurring outside the school. • Demands from the State and Federal Government take time away from meaningful supervision of instruction as well as other aspects of school oversight. • What is the best way to inform parents of what’s happening at the school? It seems parents say they never heard things that were presented at Back to School Night, in eNews, via Skyward, and on our Web site. How can we fix the disconnect? • There seems to be a lack of understanding about the law and how it pertains to HIB and teacher tenure. The school must follow the laws but parents see us as being unyielding or unresponsive when we follow the law. • If the school can’t meet a parent’s expectations (for example, with regards to a specific teacher or a specific incident), the parent sees the school as unresponsive or unyielding. How do we balance doing our jobs to the best of our ability while still trying to satisfy all parents/families?

11. Find the Facts! • Information on how math placement is determined is on the Web site under the Math and Science Tab (look under “Files” towards the bottom of the page). • GW’s clubs are listed on the Web site under the Our School tab (click Student Clubs and Activities). • Important events are placed on the Web site calendar each month, and also sent home via eNews each week! • HSA meeting notes, posted on the Web site, are an excellent source of information about the school and what’s happening!

12. Our Goals for Improvement • Improve Leadership (How can Dr. Kashmanian lead the school to improve in all goal areas, especially with increased State and Federal demands that equal less time for school leadership and management?) • Improve Communications (How can we make the Web site more user friendly? How can we make important information sent home stand out? What other modes of communication should be explored?) • Improve Instruction (How can we raise the level of academic rigor for all students in such a diverse setting?) • Improve Consistency (How can we capitalize on best practices for instructional excellence?) • Improve Student Social/Emotional Health (How can we support student needs that are unrelated to instruction yet impact students’ ability to learn?)

13. Important Contact Information • Dr. Kashmanian (kkashmanian@ridgewood.k12.nj.us) and 201-670-2790 • Ms. Moreland (emoreland@ridgewood.k12.nj.us) and 201-670-2790 • Mrs. Hoffman (choffman@ridgewood.k12.nj.us) and 201-670-2790

14. Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow. - Anthony J. D’Angelo