Montclair Administrators Gather At Annual Retreat

With just a few weeks left until the beginning of the school, Montclair Public Schools administrators gathered for three days starting Aug. 21 at the Robert “Fuzzy” Furlong Athletics Field House at Montclair High School for the fourth annual Administrators Retreat to share information and ideas and to plan for the upcoming year.

“It’s been a challenging summer,” said Interim Superintendent Clarence Hoover. “But we are here to discuss where we are and where we are going.”

Topics and activities included a district overview and goals; senior staff updates; a report of district test results and strategy analysis by the Department of Instruction; a discussion of protocol for examining student work; updates on the School Action Team for Partnerships and the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence, community partners and more.

Hoover stressed that “it is important as educators to continue to motivate students, parents and staff,” and that, among all the challenges, there is good news in the Montclair schools “to be celebrated.”

In addition, administrators visited Montclair State University to hear a presentation by molecular biology associate professor, Dr. Scott Kight, which included a discussion on how evolutionary biology can be a powerful tool in understanding the role of leaders.

“This was an informative and productive retreat,” said Assistant to the Superintendent Dr. Felice Harrison. “It is imperative for us to come together as a team before the beginning of the school year to exchange ideas and prepare to move forward.”

Attending their first retreat were new principals Joseph Schmidt of Watchung Elementary and Nami Kuwabara of Charles H. Bullock Elementary.