The Glen Ridge Board of Education presented its tentative budget on March 5. This budget is still open to revisions but will be finalized and voted on April 30.
The district has been receiving a Title 1 grant for nine years but will no longer receive this additional funding from the state. This grant has been used to fund two teachers who provide intensive math support for struggling students in grades K—6. The proposed budget does not include rolling these positions into the operating budget, which means these teachers and programs will be eliminated. These teachers currently service approximately 140 students across four schools.
When the Board met on March 26, educators voiced concerns about how the loss of the program will adversely affect student outcomes and raised questions about how students’ needs will be met. Superintendent Philips indicated that with increasing efforts to provide smaller class sizes in the primary levels, he believes the classroom teachers will be able to provide this supplemental instruction in the regular classroom moving forward.
Lisa Petruzzi, a veteran teacher at Forest Avenue School, responded, “The ever-growing curriculum teachers have to cover in addition to MAP and CogAT testing, meeting consistently with struggling students for remedial instruction still poses challenges for teachers even with smaller classes.” She spoke passionately about the importance of play-based learning and the concrete stages of development in early childhood education, as well as how important small group and individualized instruction are in the development of young children. An intervention program is invaluable for those who struggle to grasp basic math concepts in the early grades.
Petruzzi explains that “Through small group instruction, concrete learning and making a personal connection with students, our math intervention teacher has had tremendous success in bringing students up to grade level, and more importantly has given them a sense of understanding and an “I Can Do It” attitude about a subject that is difficult for them.
Glen Ridge Education Association President MaryLynn Savio claims, “The district saw students’ math skills, standardized test scores, confidence in the classroom, and self-esteem improve after receiving the extra support through this math intervention program.” In response to a Special Education Audit in 2022, the Board added a Supervisor of Interventions at $122,000 per year to oversee the coordination of the programs to give students every opportunity to succeed. Eliminating one of the key intervention programs proven to be a highly effective resource seems counterproductive to these efforts. Savio explains, “We have reading specialists who provide much-needed supplemental instruction for students who struggle and test low in language arts, but the district is now making a choice to leave those who need similar remedial instruction and support in math without any services.”
In years prior to the Title I funding, a basic skills teacher who provided these services to students was included in the budget. Most other districts have basic skills teachers, while Glen Ridge instead has come to rely on the math intervention program to bridge this gap. Savio added, “We can reasonably predict the impact it will have if students who need this supplemental math instruction are denied. These students will continue to struggle and may fall further behind. Additionally, they will likely have increased social-emotional struggles as they continue to lag behind their peers. Students who do not build an adequate foundation during the early grades will be more likely to be referred for special education services, and district standardized test scores will likely decrease.”
These educators acknowledged that budget decisions are never easy and difficult choices must be made. “The Board determines what is necessary and worthwhile. Surely, instruction for some of our most at-risk students at a point when it can change the trajectory of their academic experience is worth prioritizing. On behalf of the teachers and young students who rely on this supplemental instruction, we ask the Board to reconsider using funds to continue the math intervention program.”
If parents or other community members have questions or concerns about eliminating the math intervention program, the GREA encourages you to contact the BoE before the budget is approved on April 30.
Glen Ridge Board of Education
Mr. Dirk Phillips
DPhillips@glenridge.org
Ms. Elisabeth Ginsburg
EGinsburg@glenridge.org
Mr. David Campbell
DCampbell@glenridge.org
Ms. Tricia Akinwande
TAkinwande@glenridge.org
Mr. Anthony Bonnett
ABonnett@glenridge.org
Ms. Duval Graham
dgraham@glenridge.org
Ms. Jocelyn Gottlieb
jgottlieb@glenridge.org
Ms. Kristin O’Neil
koneil@glenridge.org
Dr. Heather Yaros-Ramos
HYaros-Ramos@glenridge.org
Darius Dehnad
ddehnad@glenridge.org
MaryLynn Savio
Glen Ridge
The author is president of the Glen Ridge Education Association