My Record of Forward-thinking Academic Advocacy

During my years in Haddonfield, I have advocated successfully and extensively for improvements to academics.  As a parent, when I recognized opportunities to go from good to better in our classrooms, I took the time to research practices and policies elsewhere. I networked with other parents, teachers, and administrators in NJ and nationally, and then worked with our district’s staff and Board to improve the way things were done here. The results added value – they enriched and added flexibility to students’ educational experience and their results. Among these are the following:

• High school grade point average (GPA) formula revision for more competitive GPAs.  My research revealed that our students' GPAs were lower than comparable districts for similar coursework. I brought my research to the Board, and this triggered revision of the grade-weighting formula.  Students had better admissions, eligibility for NCAA and scholarships, and honors programs acceptances after the revision.
• High school credit for courses and lessons taken elsewhere (Option 2 Policy). I worked with Marsha Marshall to change district policy and allow district credits towards graduation for external work. This policy allows students to pursue interests and earn credit towards graduation in subjects not offered in the high school. Some examples are world language credit for study of Chinese or Arabic; physical education credit for gymnastics lessons, or elective credit for a creative writing workshop, taken online or on site elsewhere. Students broadened their educational resumes, and also gained flexibility to work around scheduling conflicts within the high school.
• I worked with Glenn Moramarco on revision of the HMHS Profile – the key document used to describe our high school to colleges – for improved presentation of the high school’s caliber to colleges and prospective tuition students.
• Professional development for teachers in differentiation of instruction. Put simply, in inclusive classrooms, differentiated instruction of curriculum allows ALL students to advance in their learning regardless of their starting point. Differentiation later became a District Goal.
• At Tatem School and Middle School, I worked with a group of parents who advocated for and/or started academic enrichment via clubs like Science Olympiad, Odyssey of the Mind, and Math Club, led by parents or teachers, sometimes with parental assistance, to give students opportunities to further develop interests and experience mentoring. Our students went on to earn impressive state and national awards, and explored future college majors and careers.
• As President of the Haddonfield Middle School PTA, I worked with my board to advocate for advanced middle school language arts during a year when a district curriculum audit was underway.  New curriculum was put in place, which resulted in more “Advanced Proficient” scores on state achievement tests, Our district is now near the top in SAT verbal scores among "J" (similarly high socioeconomic) districts.
• I worked with Principal Noah Tennant on a Career Fair at the Middle School that inspired students to develop their interests – a great opportunity for students to explore and be mentored in all kinds of career possibilities.