It’s Elementary, Dr. Crisfield!

Back in February this year when I raised the issue of persistent and widespread performance disparities among the five elementary schools in Millburn based on NJ ASK scores, the school district superintendent was wilfully blind to the data, and was arrogant enough not to engage in a reasonable discussion of valid educational concerns. The Board of Education, largely a lazy group of inflated egos and engaged in petty politicking with all the hallmarks of an elected mafia, was equally deaf and dumb to the issue.

The school district superintendent disagreed with the data at that time, and in turn I disagreed with his disagreement because data did not lie.

Now the New Jersey Department of Education has put out School Performance Reports, and aside from NJ ASK scores they include metrics that focus on college and career readiness, benchmark a school’s performance against other peer schools with similar demographics (enrollment in free/reduced lunch programs, limited English proficiency, and special education programs), against statewide outcomes, and against state targets to illuminate and build upon a school’s strengths and identify areas for improvement.

The School Performance Report commentary for the five elementary schools in the Millburn school district is very enlightening for all except the school district superintendent, who is too busy managing his own career to even bother about managing elementary schools. On that front - Congratulations Dr. Crisfield on your recent election as President of Garden State Coalition of Schools! Nice addition to your resume I must say, even as you are bent on destroying Wyoming and South Mountain elementary schools with willful neglect. 

Wyoming                                                                                                                                                            

- academic performance is high when compared to schools across the state.

- academic performance is about average when compared to its peers.

- school's college and career readiness lags in comparison to schools across the state.

- school’s college and career readiness significantly lags in comparison to its peers.

- school's student growth performance is about average when compared to schools across the state.

- school’s student growth performance lags in comparison to its peers.

South Mountain   

- academic performance is very high when compared to schools across the state.

- academic performance is about average when compared to its peers.

- school's college and career readiness is about average when compared to schools across the state.

- school’s college and career readiness lags in comparison to its peers.

- school's student growth performance is very high when compared to schools across the state.

- school’s student growth performance is very high when compared to its peers.

Hartshorn   

- academic performance is very high when compared to schools across the state.

- academic performance is very high when compared to its peers.

- school's college and career readiness is very high when compared to schools across the state.

- school’s college and career readiness is about average when compared to its peers.

- school's student growth performance is high when compared to schools across the state.

- school’s student growth performance is high when compared to its peers.

Deerfield    

- academic performance is very high when compared to schools across the state.

- academic performance is very high when compared to its peers.

- school's college and career readiness is high when compared to schools across the state.

- school’s college and career readiness lags in comparison to its peers.

- school's student growth performance is high when compared to schools across the state.

- school’s student growth performance is high when compared to its peers.

Glenwood   

- academic performance is very high when compared to schools across the state.

- academic performance is very high when compared to its peers.

- school's college and career readiness is very high when compared to schools across the state.

- school’s college and career readiness is high when compared to its peers.

- school's student growth performance is very high when compared to schools across the state.

- school’s student growth performance is very high when compared to its peers.

The performance data, peer group comparisons, and commentary in 15-page reports for each school has plenty of information that will put an end to the shameless abdication of responsibility and mindless excuses that are readily tossed around to explain away the disparities. These specifically concern issues like being economically disadvantaged, having limited English proficiency, or having a disability/special education needs across the five elementary schools when comparing on an absolute basis, but are NOT an issue when each school is compared with demographically similar peer group from across the state.

Wyoming

South Mountain

Hartshorn

Deerfield

Glenwood

School Enrollment

336

330

544

526

488

Disability

15%

19%

10%

11%

11%

Special Education

13.1%

11.2%

8.6%

8.4%

9.8%

Limited English proficiency

5.4%

2.1%

0.4%

2.3%

2.5%

Economically disadvantaged

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

While some of the performance disparities across the five elementary schools in the Millburn school district can be explained by the demographic data, the widespread and persistent performance disparities is more likely due to willful neglect of both Wyoming and South Mountain schools. This becomes amply clear as both Wyoming and South Mountain schools either lag or are about average when compared to their peers across the state. In comparison Glenwood, Deerfield, and Hartshorn shine on an absolute basis as well as relative to their peer groups. Talk about zip code reality of Millburn!

There is no doubt Millburn has degenerated into two towns based on zip codes, and this is quite evident in the decision making of both the Township Committee as well as the Board of Education, both of which are packed with residents of the favored zip code. If there were any lingering doubts on my previous characterization of Millburn practicing "soft bigotry of lowered expectations" based on zip code as it pertains to education, then the latest School Performance Reports from the New Jersey Department of Education should put those to rest.

The time for disagreements is over, and it is high time that the school district administration is held accountable. Simply noting that budgetary allocations on a per pupil basis are equal across all elementary schools is not enough because both Wyoming and South Mountain schools suffer from sub-optimal allocation of resources because of lower student count. If anything, given the persistent performance disparities, demographic disadvantage, and lower student count, both Wyoming and South Mountain definitely need more resources AND a better tracking/review mechanism to drive improved performance. Mind you, we are not talking about minor differences, and every township resident should take this performance gap seriously. Millburn can wake up to this zip code asymmetry now or it will be forced to address this issue after the town’s reputation for education excellence is tarnished with undesirable economic/social ramifications over time. If the school district superintendent cannot take responsibility and provide education leadership then he should get out of the way. The same applies to the Board of Education. Millburn deserves better.