As Superintendent Jack Raslowsky looked back on a “productive” few years as Hoboken’s head of schools, before he takes over as the full-time president of Xavier High School in Manhattan, he judged his time in Hoboken as challenging, but rewarding.
“The problems we have don’t have easy answers,” Raslowsky said.
Raslowsky understands there is an achievement gap with student populations in poverty situations, and he understands that education cannot by itself close the gap. But he said schools can look for improvement in all sorts of areas, not just the standardized testing scores that have been a sore point for the district.
Take, for example, the published book created at the high school by the entire junior class this year, “My Square Mile Life.”
“The problems we have don’t have easy answers.”— Jack Raslowsky
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Curriculum revamp part of his legacy
Among the challenges met, Raslowsky counts a new head-to-toe curriculum change and a streamlined business office as his most formidable.
He noticed in a district audit when he took the reins two years ago that the district hadn’t adjusted its curriculum in 20 years.
Can a new curriculum help lower the achievement gap in a district where roughly 75 percent of the students qualify for a free or reduced lunch, indicating a lack of family income?
It can help, Raslowsky said, but it’s “not a silver bullet.” No matter what, he said, poverty levels are not an excuse for a poor educational system, but they should be understood to put achievements in context.
Having a well-functioning business office is key to understanding costs and pinpointing cuts, like the rounds of teacher, administrator, and support cuts that Raslowsky saw through.
One challenge that bested Raslowsky was the implementation of a dual-language program in which children learn Spanish primarily and English secondarily until proficient in both.
The Hola! program was opposed by a vocal group of critics who questioned the program’s origin and cost.
“Purely on its educational merits, I think it was a terrific program,” he said. “And I am equally convinced that it was a PR disaster. I didn’t handle that particularly well.”
Communication was a problem
The problem with Hola! was indicative of a central issue during Raslowsky’s tenure: communication.
He said he could have better communicated with administrators, the board, and the public. “We were often responding to things. It’s crucial to control the message, in the best of ways,” Raslowsky said. “Don’t assume people understand.”
But vocal residents in politically-charged arenas can hamper attempts at communication.
“Local politics,” he said, “is a constantly evolving beast and can never be understood.”
“The norm in other districts is not three-and-a-half, four hour board meetings in August,” he said, noting the drawn-out meeting last week.
He did work with the board to overhaul the policy manual, but for most of his tenure his relationship with the governing body was rocky.
They poked him on occasion and he prodded them at times, but there were a few moments when the two sides worked efficiently together.
He claims the board was “mired in operational details” when it should have been “taking time to discuss larger issues.”
When he took the superintendent position and stepped down from his seat on the school board, Raslowsky said he aspired to “elevate the discourse” between the board and the administration.
“Not a great success,” he admits.
But as Raslowsky said, success can be measured in different ways.
He thanked teachers and administrators, and said he grew in “admiration and respect” while working with them.
Timothy J. Carroll may be reached at tcarroll@hudsonreporter.com.