School assignments, including schedules and homeroom assignments, are due to be mailed to parents this week, said Felice Harrison, assistant to the Montclair schools superintendent, Monday afternoon.
She said that the process for assigning students to various homerooms/houses/teachers is an intricate one.
"There are numerous factors to consider, such as class size, course/elective offerings, related services, class composition, etc.," she said. "Therefore, a parent requesting a house/assignment change because someone 'doesn't like what house their child was assigned to' would probably not be granted."
Have you received your child's schedule/assignment yet? Let us know in the comments section below.
For more information on the district's procedures, go to the Montclair Public Schools website here.
WC
4:16 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Seems kind of late. No?
What I See
11:09 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
It's typical... when my daughter was starting kindergarten, we found out who her teacher was when we went to the ice cream social two days before school started. One year, my neighbor's son went to the first day of fifth grade without knowing who his teacher was or his schedule of classes. It used to be that at some schools, parents would learn on the last day of school who the child's teacher would be in September; but, too many parents tried to have changes made, so, an end was put to that.
scarletxknight
7:53 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
i was wondering about this
WC
2:27 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Im new to MHS this year...what new policy?
At Glenfield we always got our schedules in early/mid August
Shelley Emling
3:12 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Parents were required to re-register incoming freshman over the summer.. show proof of residence, etc.
What I See
12:57 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Not a new policy for MHS... this was done last year to catch non-residents from enrolling in Montclair. If I recall, there were about 75-100 people caught. I wonder if the district is going after them for back tuition...
A. Gideon
9:22 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
"About 1.5%. If, the district claim the percentage this year is 15%-20%; then, it is worthwhile."
75 students translates roughly to a couple of hundred thousand dollars over just one year (assuming no special cost-raising factors). We taxpayers would be justifiably displeased to learn of that much waste in the schools, or that much being lost from the district due to more conventional theft.
"Do you really want the district to spend tax dollars investigating on the 'impossible' to prove?"
It's not impossible to prove. I'm more interested in the likelihood of recovery plus the disincentive the threat of reparations provides.
...Andrew
A. Gideon
6:24 pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012
"What are the chances, there is still 1,000 students living in another municipality attending Montclair Public Schools?"
A naive number is 75*11 of those students. We found the 75 in 9th grade; this leaves the 11 other grades unchecked.
It's naive because it ignores a lot. For example, it assumes we've have the same number of fraudulent students in K as in 12th grade. It also ignores that, as I understand it, some of those ~75 students were siblings of the identified fraudulent 9th graders. As a first approximation, though, it's probably not awful.
"Getting someone to pay with limited income, is nil."
I'd argue that we know nothing about the income of the families enrolling out-of-town children into our schools. I've recently learned of a story about a district employee making over $100,000/year enrolling her children in our schools while living in Little Falls. While $100,000/year isn't unlimited, it's no trivial amount of money. I'd argue that she could afford a reasonable repayment plan.
We've no way of knowing, w/o looking, whether others committing the same fraud have incomes that are larger or smaller.
- Andrew
thewayitis
2:16 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
As a parent of an incoming Kindergartener who is new to the school system, I'm shocked that we've not received a letter yet. No supplies list. No teacher info. Nothing. I don't really understand why. It seems other school districts manage to do this. Many parents I know in other towns, knew months ago, or at least earlier in the summer. They also had orientations. So newbie K kids and their parents could visit the classrooms, meet the teachers, etc. All that stuff reduces anxiety for kids and parents. Why is this not done here? Is this how it always has been?
Stu's Wife
2:49 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
In Glen Ridge our kids get their assignments in June and then the last day of the school year is spent with their teacher and new classmates (even for incoming K and PreK students). Over the summer I have received 3 emails from my son's new teacher, he's updated his class website, he started a blog to interact with the kids, gave us our supply list a few weeks ago and also assigned the kids to bring a book they've read over the summer in for a project on the first day of school. It's a great system, and I never understood why they could not do it in Montclair. Our Principal starts working on the following year's class assignments in the Spring and parents are even invited to provide feedback in writing as to what type of classroom environment they feel would be best for their kid.
My son spent his K year in Northeast, and from what I understand from our friends at that school, Northeast will first be mailing out teacher assignments on 8/31.
udabubu
11:04 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
And by the way...why are you defending montclair? You chose to move to Gen Ridge - a fantastc school system!
Shelley Emling
2:52 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Mt. Hebron also is sending out schedules/assignments on Friday.
thewayitis
3:27 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Stu's wife: that sounds incredibly humane and sound. Makes me even more baffled as to why something similar can't be done in Montclair. It seems so basic. One would think that this first big step into public school could be done more effectively, and with more compassion for the youngest of students and their parents.
udabubu
3:48 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Montclair does not mail class assignments until 8-31 so that parents don't have time to react before school starts. Just another reflection of our school administrators' poor attitudes.
Had I understood the nuances of the Montclair school system I would never have moved here. The system is corrupt and misrepresented to prospective home buyers. Both the town officials and Realtors further perpetuate the myth of our "magnet" system. We do not have a magnet system. We have a group of schools, each of which has a somewhat unique focus. However, we are not able to choose schools based on our children(s) interests. Rather, we are assigned a school based on an obselete and unfair system that was designed in the 1970's. How much money do we waste by busing students from one end of town to the other? How many are not able to even "request" their true school of choice bc of a ridiculously late start time - yet another debacle due to to forced bussing. Montclair is no longer segregated by 07043 & 07042 as it once was. And, IF you get assigned the school of your choice for elem., your middle school is then predetermined - you have no choice. Ask around - find out how many parents are actually able to switch from their "feeder" school into the middle school of choice - very FEW.
If our system was successful, then why had no other town in NJ replicated our system?
I'm sick over the taxes for a corrupt and uneffective school system - but now we are financially trapped.
Stu's Wife
4:05 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Say what you want about the magnet system, however it should be noted that the process for assigning children to individual schools does not date back to the 70's. The process and criteria were updated for the entering K class in 2010.
You can also request a middle school other than your elementary school's designated feeder school. Much like with the elementary schools, that choice is not guaranteed.
http://www.montclair.k12.nj.us/Article.aspx?Id=671
udabubu
4:33 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
not really updated. just a new spin on the old system, why do you think they changed the process from "freedom of choice" to "school placement request form". Because you don't have a choice. "Montclair children do not necessarily attend the school closest to their homes. There are no "neighborhood" schools. Provided there is space available and that racial balance is maintained, the magnet schools provide wide flexibility of educational choice, and ensure that the entire township is the "neighborhood." Your ecomonic zone is the primary determining factor, followed by IEP, then siblings, then your request comes into play.
Again - find out what % of requests to change feeder schools are honored. How many elementary school parents get thier first choice?
Bottom line - the system is broken and we are all paying the price with our children and our pocketbooks.
tryintosurvive
4:43 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Perhaps it has changed a lot recently, but a few years ago I know of over a dozen children who chose to go to Glenfield rather than Mt Hebron (which was what their grammar school fed to) and they all got in. These were all from one school and there must have been more from others. And of course everyone who goes to Renaissance has had to go the freedom of choice route.
udabubu
6:21 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
It's no longer freedom of choice!! It's school REQUEST form... That says it all..
Stu's Wife
7:10 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
I thought that Dr. Alvarez designated Bullock as a feeder school for Renaissance. Was that never put into effect?
My son is a caucasian male. I think the move to the residential zoning policy from a strict racial criteria helped us get into our first choice that year. We lived in a neighborhood that was comprised mainly of multi-family homes. Our neighborhood had a high proportion of renters and seniors living on fixed incomes. We were essentially zoned poor. We got our first choice - Northeast - even though we were told there were only 25 spaces available there that year and that ESL students would get priority.
udabubu
11:02 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
Exactly what I am speaking of. You lived in a "poor" zone - which influenced your school placement. What about those living in a zone that is not labeled "poor" whoi also wanted to go to Northeast? Those of us living in what are declared to be "well-to-do" zones rarely get our placement choice unless we choose nishuane or bullock - the two largest schools in "poor" zones.
Secondly - what about the students who planned on going to renaissance but are not unable because their feeder school changed? Some parents choose elementary schools bc of the middle school feed.
A. Gideon
9:39 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
"Just another reflection of our school administrators' poor attitudes"
I agree. More, I hope that the BOE directs the new superintendent to address this.
I was disturbed by the portion of the district's letter - cited in the article - which states "a parent requesting a house/assignment change...would probably not be granted". Aside from the astonishingly poor English from a school district, the attitude reflected is such that this will almost certainly be referenced in the next proposal for the Charter School. The disdain and disinterest in personal attention is part what the proponents of that school claim to be hoping to address in their smaller HS.
Is someone in Central Office actively promoting the Charter by projecting this attitude?
...Andrew
MyMTC2
12:34 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
Got our school assignment for Edgemont -YAY! There are NO bad teachers there :) But haven't received a schedule for out MHS Junior..As far as the non-resident situation is concerned, I think they should place the newly demoted ex-vice principal of Mount Hebron in the Central office and put her in charge determining non-resident status for all Montclair schools...She'd be Fabulous!