Separate middle school departments created
áǠȶʋȶ Źˊ èȶƃǠơȍȍơ %ơɭȟŔȥ
English and Social Studies Department Chair Deborah Feigenson leads a staff meeting.
ŔɭơƎ òƃǠɭơǫŹơɭ Reporter 7MKRMÁGERX GLERKIW XS XLI ')7.(7 HITEVXQIRXEP PIEHIVWLMT WXVYGXYVI EVI WIX XS FI MQTPIQIRXIH HYVMRK XLI ĀþĀÿ ĀþĀĀ WGLSSP ]IEV with the creation of middle school department heads that are separate from the high school. According to the Dean of Academics Aileen Goldstein, the decision to have separate department chairs for the middle school and high school is a concept XLEX LEW FIIR SR XLI FEGO FYVRIV for a while. Beginning with the creation of separate principals and administrations along with policies and philosophies unique to each HMZMWMSR µMX FIGEQI QSVI HMJÁGYPX XS QEREKI MR XLI I\MWXMRK PIEHIVWLMT structure,” Goldstein said. However, events of the past school year catalyzed that change. µ)ZIV]XLMRK HYVMRK '3:-( was highlighted, and during '3:-( IZIV] WMRKPI TVSKVEQ ERH TSPMG] [EW HMJJIVIRX F] HMZMWMSR MX LEH XS FI ¶ +SPHWXIMR WEMH µ;I [IVIR¸X MR XLI FYMPHMRK MR XLI WEQI HE]W ¬ %RH WYHHIRP] MX FIGEQI clear that the leadership structure was not working. Teachers were WXMPP FIMRK WYTIVZMWIH KIXXMRK KSSH JIIHFEGO ERH XLI GYVVMGYPYQ [EW still changing and developing, FYX MX [EW RSX HSMRK NYWXMGI XS XLI program.” High school Math Department 'LEMV 6IYFIR 7MPFIVQER EKVIIW [MXL +SPHWXIMR 7MPFIVQER LIPH E WMKRMÁGERX EQSYRX SJ VIWTSRWMFMPMX] SZIVWIIMRK FSXL HMZMWMSRW ERH LI JIPX XLEX LI HMH RSX LEZI XLI EFMPMX] to adequately help support or propose pedagogical innovations.
µ8LIVI EVI E PSX SJ VIWTSRWMFMPMXMIW associated with department chairs, WS - LEZIR¸X EP[E]W LEH XMQI XS really push [the department] to make changes or grow. Most of it XIRHW XS FI EHQMRMWXVEXMZI WXYJJ ERH WYTIVZMWMRK ¶ 7MPFIVQER WEMH µ¬ - think splitting it up will allow us to focus more and actually make some productive changes.” JDS prides itself on providing WXYHIRXW [MXL E YRMÁIH I\TIVMIRGI from Gurim through senior year. %W WYGL 7MPFIVQER ERXMGMTEXIW ER increase in the coordination among department heads in order to allow JSV WLMJX MRXIV HMZMWMSR XVERWMXMSRW MR relation to content and skills. µ- XLMRO XLI FMKKIWX MWWYI [MPP FI XLEX [I [MPP RSX RIGIWWEVMP] FI in the same meetings as often so when we’re discussing departmental priorities or curriculum changes it [MPP NYWX FI E PMXXPI LEVHIV XS WGLIHYPI those conversations so that everyone MW XLIVI ¶ 7MPFIVQER WEMH 9RPMOI XLI LMKL WGLSSP XLI EHQMRMWXVEXMSR HIGMHIH XS IWXEFPMWL department chairs over two groups SJ WIGYPEV HMWGMTPMRIW 78)1 ERH LYQERMXMIW MR SVHIV XS FIXXIV VIÂIGX the interdisciplinary nature of the QMHHPI WGLSSP 9TTIV 7GLSSP 78)1 Coordinator Cassandra Batson will chair the Middle School Math and 7GMIRGI HITEVXQIRXW ERH (IFSVEL *IMKIRWSR [LS LEW XEYKLX FSXL )RKPMWL ERH LMWXSV] [MPP GLEMV XLI 1MHHPI 7GLSSP )RKPMWL ERH 7SGMEP Studies departments. However, Batson does not RIGIWWEVMP] FIPMIZI XLEX XLI WEQI structure is needed in high school. µ-R QMHHPI WGLSSP XLI VIEWSR [L] MX MW FIRIÁGMEP XS LEZI WSQISRI PMOI QI ¬ MW ?FIGEYWIA QMHHPI WGLSSP WXYHIRXW EVI RSX EFPI XS QEOI
4
shared middle school and high school departments the average high school department has
3.83
members the average middle school department has
4.1
members
2
new nonacademic middle school departments
the same connections as high school students are,” Batson said. “... By the time you’re in high school, your classes are also more rigorous and they go EX E JEWXIV TEGI ERH ]SY¸VI EFPI to dive deeper in those real world scenarios.” -R EHHMXMSR XS XLI IWXEFPMWLQIRX SJ EGEHIQMG department chairs in the middle school, there are also X[S RI[P] EHHIH RSR EGEHIQMG department heads. Rachel 1I]XMR [MPP FI XLI 1MHHPI 7GLSSP )\TIVMIRXMEP ERH 7IVZMGI Learning Chair and Dr. Jennifer 2I[JIPH [MPP FI XLI 1MHHPI School Jewish Life Chair. Given XLI HMWTIVWMSR SJ RSR EGEHIQMG IZIRXW ERH GPEWWIW XLEX I\MWX MR the middle school, these new positions will help to unify and organize them. 1I]XMR WEMH WLI [MPP FI keeping track of what the WXYHIRX FSH] MW HSMRK EX ZEVMSYW points of the day, from morning GLIGO MR XLVSYKL XLI EJXIVRSSR ÂI\ FPSGO µ- EQ LSTMRK XLEX - GER make these discrete spaces have some unity,” Meytin said.
The Lion’s Tale Magazine
5
