Initiative seeks public’s input
Extensive report on state of education in borough delivered by group
RED BANK — Talk about a power lunch. When Dr. Michael Rush, then school superintendent of the Red Bank Borough Schools; the Rev. Dr. Dwight C. Northington of Calvary Baptist Church; and David Tarver, then president of the Count Basie Learning Center, sat down together on a winter day in 1999, there was more than just food on their plates. The issue du jour boiled down to a single question — what would it take to make Red Bank one of the best places in the state to raise and educate children of all races and backgrounds?
The complex response to that question three and a half years later has been addressed in a 3-inch thick report called the Red Bank Education and Development Initiative. The initiative represents the combined efforts of over 40 community leaders, and a cross-section of teachers, parents, and administrators who came together over the course of the last year in a series of focus groups and discussions on the current and future state of education in Red Bank.
To implement the initiative, Tarver enlisted the help of Dr. Clifton L. Smith, an organization development and team-building expert. The planning process Smith designed includes six phases: fact-finding, vision-setting, recommended strategies, community review and discussion, development of improvement plans, and implementation of plans and programs.
"With the publication of this report, we enter the community review and planning stages," said Tarver.
According to the report, "The mission of the Red Bank Education and Development Initiative is to assure that the academic success of all Red Bank children is competitive with that of the best communities in the country, while promoting cultural awareness and healthy social interactions."
The report concludes that several strategic practices must be established to improve education in Red Bank. It cites the importance of strong, consistent leadership; a culture of high expectations that applies to adults and children alike; collaboration among schools; early intervention for underperforming students; an institutionalized practice of communication between parents and teachers; on-going, professional development for teachers; a comprehensive plan for application of new technology; and the development of partnerships among organizations, the borough government and the community at large.
One of the key issues for some teachers appears to be that they feel that they are engaged in a no-win game of tug-of-war, caught between meeting the academic demands and the personal needs of their students.
There also is a concern as expressed by several teachers that formalized academic tasks, such as the standardized tests required by the state don’t accurately reflect students’ capabilities because they are geared to a different learning environment.
Another recurring theme is the "east-west" and "us-them" tensions endemic to Red Bank — a problem that’s underscored by the fact that a substantial number of Red Bank school children don’t attend the public schools, and many of those who do are not competitive with their counterparts from Shrewsbury and Little Silver when they reach the regional high school that serves the three communities.
Despite the challenges identified in the report, Tarver remains optimistic. "Red Bank has made incredible strides in so many areas," he said. "Now it’s time to make the education of children our top priority. Since the initiative’s inception, the entire process has been inclusive, not divisive. Now we’re inviting community leaders to join together to solve a problem that affects all of us."