The Montclair Fund For Excellence in Education (MFEE) awarded 136 Educational Excellence grants to faculty and staff . Thus far this school year, 172 grants have been awarded for a total of $168,000.
The percentage of funds that go to each school are fairly proportional with enrollment numbers. MFEE Educational Excellence grants foster innovation and enhance curriculum. The 2012-13 Educational Excellence Grant program is supported in part by the Zief Fund, The John Whitehead Fund/CFNJ, the McMullen Family Foundation and a grant from the Piorkowski family. Examples: White House of the Future Architecture Grant awarded to Shalini Taneja at Mt. Hebron School; The Sky Really is the Limit awarded to Catherine Kondreck at Hillside School.
MFEE funded a number of Fall 2012 Social and Emotional Learning grants which, along with the MFEE Equity Fund Scholarship program is budgeted at $30,000 per year. MFEE Social and Emotional Learning Grants are sponsored by the Turner Family. The Equity Program is supported in partnership with the Montclair Foundation, The Montclair Foundation for Women, the United Way of Northern New jersey and the Levi Family Foundation. Examples: Smart Choices Project awarded to Student Assistance counselor barbara Lennon at Hillside School; Respect Project awarded to Joe Putrino at Northeast School.
MFEE Professional Development Grants were awarded with an annual school year budget of 10,000. The Greenwald Professonal Development grants are sponsored in part by the Family of beloved educator Marcia Greenwald. Example: Cooperative Learning Structures awarded to Assistant Principal John Jeffries at MHS; Teaching Mandarin with Sign Language awarded to Vicky change at Nishuane School.
MFEE funded the remaining 2012 MFEE/Montclair Schools Rock! Magnet School Grants for Montclair Public Schools principals. The NEW MFEE/Rocks! MHS Student Guidance Center, which will focus on college admission, is slated for a grand opening next month. Thus far, over $500,000 Magnet Grants have created 31 Centers of Excellence primarily at Montclair High School and the middle schools.
According to Lois Whipple, Executive director, MFEE, is poised to partner with the District, the Board of Education, and parent groups to maximize funding opportunities and to steward private donations in support of cost effective, high student impact projects that sustain educational excellence”. MFEE Board President Wil Adkins stressed that MFEE is particularly looking forward to working closely with newly installed Schools Superintendent Penny MacCormack as she culminates her listening tour and delineates priorities and goals for the coming school year.