Advocacy & Policy Successes on the BOE
I am the only Board Member in the past 3 years to lead any advocacy on curriculum and instruction, guidance counseling, or technology improvements. I am the only candidate or Board Member to create and lead a movement or initiative, in the past 10 years, that resulted in the improved performance of a public school.
|
|
|
|
Student Achievement Advocacy
Edison Middle School (EMS) Makes History!
In 2014, new Math leadership was appointed for Middle School because of our efforts. On the Board, I continued the work of my 2013 Parents Coalition at EMS and ensured accountability and best practices were being used:
• Expansion of “Accelerated Math” to include all high Proficiency and Advanced Proficiency students
• Improved Math rigor for all
• Confirmed full use of Level Reading Library, greater frequency off reading complete books and not just passages and introduction of literature that challenged kids at their highest level
• Ensured standardized test prep for ALL kids
• Ensured that Math curriculum identified curriculum pacing problem.
• Called for Supervisors’ accountability; generated ongoing dialogue between Supervisors and PTA
Result: For the 1sttime in District history, EMS scores increased and 6thGraders
|
Result: For the 1st time in District history, EMS scores increased and 6th Graders achieved higher NJASK scores than they had in the 5th grade!
|
|
Engineering & CODE Piloted in K-8!
My advocacy leadership won the Launch of 2015 Engineering Projects in Grade 5 Enrichment, and Computer Code and Engineering Curricula in EMS 2016 –2017, Expanding to LMS and RMS in 2017.
- Since 2012 as a parent (noted by Principal Fitzgerald), and 2014 –2016 on BOE, advocated vigorously –
- Presented competitive private school information
- Noted award winning curricula developed by our own Teacher and ready to deploy
- Provided 20-page presentation decks of information on Computer Science Teachers Association and nonprofit efforts to teach Code in Public Schools, the curricula and resources available
|
 |
|
|
My Philosophy:
“CODE teaches critical thinking, and how to create, communicate, and collaborate enabling
kids to innovate.”
“Children are motivated and internalize what they learn through hands-on, experiential learning, where they create a product or see clear result."
|
|
|
|
|
World Language to Adopt Online Language Labs
- Advocated 2014 -16 as a best practice in World Languages and ESL based on language lab use colleges, top public schools and private schools
- Faced initial opposition by the WL department against it
- Won approval in 2016 and they are looking for a vendor to implement it by 2017
Led Curriculum Reform in English Language Arts
Advocated since 2012 as a parent, and 2014-16 on BOE in Closed and Open Sessions, providing detailed documentation of issues, parent letters, best practices for the models we used, and opportunities for improvement. Results:
- Formal teaching of grammar and syntax K-8, 2016-17 (This had stopped 7 years ago)
- Return of Guided Reading/Directed Reading K-8: In 2014, the ELA Supervisor announced in the Middle School Curriculum Meeting that “We are no longer doing Guided Reading also called Directed Reading” –I fought to reestablish this education best practice
- Middle School instruction in Latin and Greek Roots, 2016 –2017 (60% of English Language and 90% of law, science and technology based on these root) (Study of Latin and Ancient Greek, helped me achieve)
- Return of vocabulary building, grades 6-12, in 2016 (formerly known as SAT vocabulary)
- Full implementation of in-class, “Book Clubs” with a guided component (grades 3-8)
- Return of novels and creative writing -Often eradicated under the Common Core in 2014-15
- Book lists, finally, accessible to Parents in November of 2014, so Parents could work with Teachers and Students
|
Launch of Enrichment Curricula for ALL K-8, Integrating HAP Curricula Content:
- Began advocacy as a parent in 2012, and won approval as a BOE Member 2015-16 in English (grades 3-8)
- Also led to rotating projects in Engineering and Social Studies for Grade-5…Expanding in 2016-17
Expanded/Improved Summer Assignments K-11:
- Helps avoid Students losing one to two months of knowledge/performance by Fall
- Note: Summer assignments are not supposed to be burdensome. They should serve as mental “tune up” that avoids kids losing up to 2 months of instruction time and Teachers spending 1 to 2 months in review instead of on new materials
“Departmentalization” (specialization) for Grades 4-5 (Example: Teachers Math degrees teach Math):
- Since 2014, I advocated for this as a best practice used in top public and private schools
Improved Performance Tracking by Class Cohort:
- Advocated for this since 2014 and it revealed performance strengths/weaknesses by course and grade level
- If you track a 5thgrade class through their 8thor 9thgrade year and witness their performance decline in a particular year, it helps the BOE and Superintendent identify problems in the problem year/grade
Transparency
- Started airing BOE meetings on YouTube in 2016: Since 2014, I advocated for this step for greater transparency and access, and provided technical solutions for implementation
Teacher Support
- Advocated for greater Teacher voice, and improved change management and communications methods; and more funding for Teacher Professional Development (PD) to empower/support Teachers
My Advocacy on C&I Helped Catalyze Action
- Expansion of Honors in 2015 (Still Working to Improve Criteria/Process); improved rigor for Middle School Math; more funding for technology integration in the curricula
Co-Led advocacy to launch Diversity Recruitment of Elementary School Teachers
- In partnership with another BOE Member, addressed the dearth of Black/African American, Hispanic and South Asian American Teachers in Elementary School
Sports Advocacy
- Co-led effort to maintained coaching staffs at competitive levels on par with top teams, and helped save Hockey Team
|
|
(The statements herein are solely those of Mark A. Robertson and do not necessarily represent that of the West Orange Board of Education)
Contact: 201-903-2534 / Robertson4BoardofEd@gmail.com
Robertson4WestOrangeBoardofEd |
|
|
