Learn About The Future Of Montclair’s Schools At 3 Public Forums

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Administrators in the Montclair Public School District will be holding a series of three public forums to discuss a “shared vision” for the district and its students.

The forums will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the George Inness Annex Atrium, 141 Park Street, on the following dates:

• Monday, Nov. 13
• Wednesday, Nov. 29
• Monday, Dec. 11

People can register to attend here. Here’s what to expect at each meeting, according to school administrators:

MEETING 1

At the first meeting on Nov. 13, Superintendent Jonathan Ponds will report on the current state of the district.

“I look forward to presenting our achievements and working on this collaborative process to provide the foundation for a community-based strategic plan which will identify specific ways to build on our strengths, address our challenges and measure our success moving forward,” Ponds said.

MEETING 2

The second meeting on Nov. 29 will bring community members together – including administrators, educators, parents, students and others – to participate in an “interactive session. The goal? Collect feedback and comments to help define and design a blueprint for a strategic plan that can help guide the future of Montclair’s public schools.

“I am excited about this opportunity for stakeholders to express ideas and opinions that will provide the board with significant insight into how the community would like the school system to evolve,” said Brian Fleischer, board member and communications committee chair.

“We don't ever want to do such important work that will impact our students' experiences, opportunities and educational outcomes in a vacuum,” Fleischer said. “I am hoping that a broad and diverse cross-section of our stakeholders will engage with us in this collaborative process.”

MEETING 3

During the third meeting on Dec. 11, the actual goals, strategies and objectives of the plan will be written, with the goal of presenting them to the board of education at an upcoming meeting.

“It is so important to us to work with the public and our stakeholders to develop a clearly defined vision for the future of our schools,” Board President Allison Silverstein said.

“I am excited to have everyone engaged together to develop a plan designed to most effectively benefit our students and their growth,” Silverstein said. “I look forward to watching these plans unfold to improve the lives of our students and staff over the course of the coming years.”

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