New curriculum, programs, and technology await North Bergen and Guttenberg students when they return to school in September.
Students in North Bergen will return on Sept. 2, while Guttenberg kids return to Anna L. Klein, the district’s sole school, on Sept. 8.
While both school districts lost state aid and had to cut staff, students still have improvements to look forward to, said officials.
In North Bergen, around $5.5 million was cut from their $110.1 million budget this year, causing the district to lay off 26 teachers. However, Superintendent Robert Dandorph said that several innovative programs that began in the district this year, and that those started last year, like their in-district autistic program, will continue. They have also completed construction to the main office, guidance area, and nursing stations, as well as adding a wellness room to the building.
“We are utilizing those monies from last year.” – Dr. Joseph Ramos
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Dr. Joseph Ramos declined to comment on the issue, but said that even with budget cuts new technology would be installed in classrooms.
New programs in North Bergen
This year North Bergen will work with the University of Pennsylvania and the Educational Information and Resource Center to close the achievement gaps of minority students. Dandorph said that they will do this by offering activities to students and meeting with “exceptional leaders” of education in the United States to reevaluate current classroom structures and policies.
“We will once again work with the Rutgers Center for Effective School Practices,” said Dandorph. He said that North Bergen will continue their partnership in training staff to improve “push-in services,” through which students who would have traditionally been removed from the classroom for extra help are provided it within the same room.
A $100,000 grant will allow them to participate in Learning Through Expanded Arts (LEAP), enabling kindergarten through second grade students to be taught through hands-on learning projects. Dandorph said that the program adapts to the different learning styles of children.
The district was also awarded a grant from the International Dyslexia Association, which will allow them to participate in an Early Literacy Screening Project. The program will help kindergarten students who are at risk. Their teachers will be trained in assessment techniques to identify those students.
“Trillium Learning” is a fourth new program being piloted under Title 1. It is a worldwide authentic model that allows students to teach and learn languages and cultures through activities that will engage students as they learn.
Lastly, Dandoprh said that North Bergen will continue their partnership with Stevens Institute of Technology for third and fourth grade students, allowing them to learn about engineering and technological literacy skills. Teachers will get training from the Center for Innovation in Engineering Science, as well as Engineering in Elementary.
SMART Boards, curriculum coming to Guttenberg
According to Mayor Gerald Drasheff, at least four classroom positions, including two teacher aides, and a world language, and gifted and talented teacher, will be saved because the council refunded $342,517 to the school district’s budget.
Ramos said that none of the “special” instructors, which include computer technology, music, physical education, art and music, were cut.
He said that 33 classrooms have also been outfitted with SMART Boards, which are screens that can work as a white board or a computer screen. Teachers can work with students interactively, said Ramos.
“We were able to fund it by the initial stimulus money [from President Barack] Obama,” said Ramos. “We are utilizing those monies from last year.”
He said the district will also be instituting a literacy curriculum from kindergarten through grade three, in which teachers will begin their day with independent reading, leading up to group reading, and ending with interactive writing workshops with students.
He said that math in grades three through five will begin using curriculum first introduced to second and third graders last year, which has more “real life” implications.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.