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‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou was embraced as an anthem at the Asbury Park School District and with a year of accolades, reaching educational benchmarks, and the creation of programs that address a student’s holistic needs, 2017 may prove to be an ‘Ain’t No Stopping Us Now,’ kind of year.

“We have embarked on an educational renaissance,” said Superintendent Lamont Repollet, whose Hard Hat Nation symbolizes the revitalization of the once failing school district. “That is why we talk about rising up, about building a brighter future.”

Last year began with the district receiving an Innovate NJ honor for demonstrating a commitment to providing, designing, and implementing an innovative school environment, according to state Department of Education.

The 2016-17 school year began with school district being recognized nationally as a Model School by the International Center for Leadership Education and the implementation of a Dream Academy, which allows qualifying students to garner Brookdale College associate’s degree by the end of their high school career. And via Career Academies, students train in Allied Health, Engineering, and Law and Public Safety.

And while this fall saw the Varsity Soccer and Football teams clinch championship titles, not to be overshadowed is the full academic scholarship varsity football player Namir Argilagos was awarded by the University of Notre Dame. Stay tuned for a town wide celebration [parade] currently in the planning stages.

The new year set off with a state recognition for one of its most creative educators and a promotion for Director of Curriculum and Instruction Sancha Gray.

On Thursday, The Board of Education [BOE] and the school district honored educator Jacqueline Philhower for being among 86 educators across the state to receive the 2016 Exemplary Educator Award. The accolade is given by Acting Commissioner of Education Kimberly Harrington to educators who not only exhibit strong knowledge and skill, but depict an inspiring presence and positive impact on students, colleagues and the school community, according to the state website.

Philhower, who administered an iRead pilot program while serving as a kindergarten teacher at Barack Obama Elementary School, now serves as an instructional coach at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School.

That evening, the BOE voted to promote Gray to Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at a prorated $152,000 annual salary.

“It is a well deserved recognition,” Repollet said. “She really has been doing the job all along.”

Gray helped implement literacy programs that that resulted in 44 percent of students in grades 3 through 12 exceed one year’s reading growth in a single semester, 23 percent exceeding two year’s growth in a semester, and the percent of students failing three or more courses falling from 30% to 3%.

“We have kindergarten students reading on grade level for the first time,” Gray has said.

On Thursday, the BOE not only approved an agreement with Kean University for its high school students to earn Environmental and Sustainability Science course credit, but also gave a nod to six high school students participation in the Monmouth County Vocational School Adult Education Division’s Certified Nursing Aide course. Students must sign a 6-month employment contract.

Having completed the Dorothy McNish Parent Center to help empower families, be it through ESL and computer literacy programs, the district also created middle and elementary school MakerSpaces that promotes hands on learning.

Over at Barack Obama Elementary School, Principal Reginald Mirthil and Parent Liaison Racquel Mattis have developed a monthly roster of educational activities aimed at fostering the parent-child bond.  

“We are building up the community, establishing that good relationship – a positive, stable and consistent relationship,” Mirthil said. “We are always adding education to it because I want them understand and apply what they have learned in school applies outside in the real world.”

At the high school Principal Kathy Baumgardner has adopted a ‘Transforming Education One Student At A Time’ theme.

“Our focus is to educate the whole child and provide students with rigorous academics, career and college readiness, as well as social and emotional support,” Baumgardner has said.

That’s where Director of Student Services Kristie Howard comes into play. Through her recommendations, and the BOE’s nod, the district has brought in programs that address everything from self discipline to health and wellness.

On Thursday, the BOE also approved YOGA training for 40 educators at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Having seen success with the Roots to Rise administered summer program, the goal is to provide all 1,862 students with coping and life skills to promote better self-expression, self confidence, leadership and sound decision making.

Yoga is only one of the many programs Howard has and is implementing to address a child’s holistic needs.

At the high school’s alternative learning lab aptly named ‘The SPOT, a state Department of Children and Families [DCF] school based youth service program, students meet for an array of extracurricular activities including the yoga and meditation first introduced by youth development specialist Rodney Salomon.

There are also morning circles at the elementary school level that works as an icebreaker and transition from any stresses a child may be facing in order to get them focused on the day’s learning. At the middle school level there is a Friday end of day circle that allows students to set goals and ready for weekend.

Among Howard’s most innovative programs, is the approach to chronic disciplinary rates. By implementing a weekly meet up for the worst offenders to practice yoga, meditation and discuss conflict resolution and anger management, there has been an improvement in social skills.

“It’s really working,” Howard said. “We’ve seen less infractions at middle and high school.”

This time last year, the district had 100 suspension on its record. Today the rate is less than half at 40 to date.

Howard also implemented parent and child incentives to improve chronic absentees, and a rubric based in-school suspension program that requires students to continue coursework while undergoing the disciplinary action.

“We realized that students put on suspension fall behind because they are missing what is going on in class, which was adding to their aggravation,” Howard said. “Now teachers send down a lesson plan and we rotate educators to fill in as tutors.”

The watchful educator uses a behavioral rubric to rate a student and the students do a self assessment as well. Because detention runs until 4 p.m. and school lets out at 2:30 p.m. they can earn early release if their score is 80 or above, Howard said. If the student’s self assessment matches up with the educator’s tally, the student earns extra point.

“If the students own their behavior and accept it, they become more accountable and more apt to not do it again,” Howard said.

On tap will be the creation of a community service opportunities for out of school suspension. Students would be required to put in school hours donating time at the library or a food bank, Howard said. There are also purposeful detentions, where the district invites speakers to share their testimonials. Also on tap will be the addition of an in-school Alcoholics Anonymous program.

At the middle school, the Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support [PBIS] program ‘All Stars’ puts the kids who are most at risk in a position of authority, like running the pep rallies.

“The goal for me is to change child’s behavior,” Howard [at right] said. “If we can do that then a child will focus more, care about themselves and others, which goes hand in hand with improving academics. Emotional behavior is so critical for our students living with the extra burdens that they deal with.”

[Select photos and video courtesy of The Asbury Park School District]

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