fill 11 slots in
Red Bank schools
New teachers,
new transitions
New teachers
fill 11 slots in
Red Bank schools
By sandi carpello
Staff Writer
Even teachers have back-to-school jitters. "I’m really nervous," said Erin Thomas, who will begin teaching Spanish at the Red Bank Primary School this September. "It’s my first time teaching."
Thomas, 22 , of Barnegat is one of 11 new teachers in the borough’s school district this year.
Eight of those teachers have been assigned to the Red Bank Middle School. The other three will be working at the primary school.
Stephen LaValva, who was hired in May to replace Karen Leoncavallo who resigned as primary school principal, will also be assuming his post this fall.
While some of the teachers come from other districts, others will be standing in front of the classroom for the first time.
In an effort to ease their transition, the district held an induction conference for new teachers Tuesday morning.
Reiterating the district’s one-year-old motto: "Quality learning — whatever it takes," school and borough officials informed teachers of the district’s high expectations.
"There are no excuses," said Superintendent John Krewer.
Denouncing the educational myth of the bell curve, Krewer said all children are able to learn, regardless of socioeconomic status, intelligence or family background.
"We need to move from ‘all children can learn’ to ‘all children will learn.’ … How many kids can learn Japanese? All," he said. "How many teachers can teach Japanese? Probably none. We only teach to our potential," Krewer said.
Mayor Edward McKenna Jr., who stopped by the Red Bank Middle School to offer some words of encouragement, said both the school district and the community are working on addressing the district’s current problems. Those problems include a lack of state funding, low athletic participation and lagging standardized test scores. In 2002, Red Bank was ranked 45 out of 47 schools in Monmouth County in terms of test scores.
"The school has a lot of strengths. We have our problems, but they are being addressed," McKenna said. "We have to bring these kids to their potential."
Determined to meet that potential, Krewer has implemented the "More Effective Schools Program" into the district’s curriculum. The 20-year-old educational program has been proven to increase the overall quality of learning and improve academic performance, he has said.
One of two new Spanish teachers, Thomas, a recent graduate of the College of New Jersey, said she had several offers for teaching positions.
"I chose to teach at Red Bank schools because of the diverse student population and the chance to work with bilingual students," she said. "I live forty minutes away, so I must’ve really wanted this job."