When I heard about the MTA BOE Strategic Planning meetings, I wasn’t sure what to expect considering how controversial BOE meetings can get these days. Fortunately, this was not that kind of meeting.
There were about 40-50 people in attendance for Session 1 on 11/28/23. There was a nice mix of faculty, town & school administration, BOE members, and parents. We formed balanced groups of about 10 to come up with lists of strengths & opportunities for Mount Arlington Public Schools. Since I was coming from the perspective of a parent with 2 school-aged kids, I was happy to share my outlook while considering the views of the staff and school administration members in my group.
The Session 2 meeting on 12/5/23, had a slightly smaller attendance. In this meeting, we broke into groups based on our area of interest: Student Learning; Resource Allocation; Supportive Learning Environment and Community. Each group was tasked with writing a broad goal statement and developing objectives that reflected the strengths, challenges, and visions determined in Session 1.
Read the details at the official BOE website:
— Mount Arlington Board of Education
https://www.mtarlingtonk8.org/board-of-education/strategic-planning
Strategic Planning Outcomes
At this point, the administration is developing action plans on how to accomplish the determined goals and objectives. A final report will be created by New Jersey School Boards and presented at the next BOE meeting.
Ultimately, I was pleased with the nonpartisan nature of these meetings and was comforted to see that the participants seemed to have the students’ best interests in mind. I look forward to attending future meetings to make sure this 5-year roadmap is being implemented and invite you all to join me!
If you’re interested in attending a MTA Board of Education meeting, and would like to go with a neighbor, please contact me at (973) 945-3745.
