Hit The Books: New Language Arts Supervisor In Mahwah Schools

The new language arts supervisor at and , taking his job officially July 1, has built up a variety of related experiences that range from teaching remedial classes to scoring Advanced Placement exams.

Dennis Fare comes to Mahwah after six years teaching in the Hackensack School District.

“I really feel that with language you can change anything, and that’s something I try to instill in all of my students,” the northwest Jersey native said.

Fare, who got his undergraduate degree from Marist College in Poughkeepsie and his graduate degree from East Stroudsburg University, said he was drawn to Mahwah because he found the area “breathtaking.”

“I saw the ad for the job and applied; but, when I came up here for the interview, there was a group of kids playing baseball at one of the fields, and the view behind them was beautiful,” he said.

“And as I learned more about the district, I could see that it was a really positive environment that is all about the students. That is really one of the reasons I wanted to become a part of this community.”

For the past five years, Fare has taught AP English classes, and for the past three, he has been one of the 2,000 educators responsible for scoring the exams. As a result, he plans to bring the knowledge he gained from these experiences to these classes in Mahwah.

“At first, I want to get a sense for the climate and culture of the schools, get to know the various strengths of the teachers in the department,” he said.

In addition to going over curriculum and all of the texts read in both schools, Fare says he wants to continue fostering a connected environment between the two schools he will be working in.

“I really want to bridge the gap between the middle and high schools; I think that’s very important,” he said.