Schools
Parents, Teachers Question Priorities of Montclair School District
Staffing issues, overcrowded classrooms and not enough personal assistance for students raises concerns.
Written By Jennifer Goldberg
A group of concerned parents and teachers spoke out Monday night about the priorities of the Montclair School District.
Several parents and teachers pointed out Montclair schools are understaffed. They stressed the importance of children benefiting from small classroom sizes.
One parent noted teachers have been spread too thin. She was told there would be another kindergarten class added to the curriculum, but no changes have been made, leaving the classes cluttered and full.
“Give our children enough room and teacher attention," one distressed parent said. "Our children deserve it."
Edgemont Middle School also felt strongly about the issue.
One teacher said the child study team only meets with the children once a week, limiting the students' time to get personalized assistance while being placed in a large class.
The problem of understaffed schools overshadowed what the Montclair Board of Education wanted to focus on.
Montclair is in the process of hiring a public relations consultant, which was met with some criticism.
“Hiring a PR consultant is unrelated to furthering the education of the schools,” one parent noted.
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