From The Superintendent…Thanks for Everything!

by Mort Sherman Superintendent - Courtesy of The Cherry Hill Connection | Aug 22, 2001

Dear Neighbors:

What a great year the Cherry Hill Public Schools had!

Thank you for your support and encouragement in dealing with some very difficult issues. We still spend less than the average district in the state of New Jersey, and our achievement levels are among the highest.

Grade Eight Proficiency Assessments (GEPAs) from this spring show district increases in every category. For example, 93.8% of our eighth graders are either proficient or advanced proficient in Language Arts. Over one third of our students are listed as advanced proficient in Mathematics. In science, over 93% are proficient or advanced proficient. There is always room for improvement, but these scores are very good. Earlier in the year we had similar results for the New Standards Reference Exams (NSRE) for our fifth and ninth graders. We are still waiting for results for our spring NSRE and Elementary School Proficiency Assessments (ESPA).

The state has sent us a letter indicating their support for our proposal to focus on student achievement as the cornerstone in any racial balance plans that may develop in the years ahead. We argued that the state formula does not work for our district, and that the traditional answers of bussing kids is not one we endorse. Our goal must always be on raising achievement for all students.

Our bond projects continue to move successfully forward, with the West Auditorium scheduled for groundbreaking this summer and completion about 14 months later.

Parents and teachers have established a Character Education Initiative (CEI) which the state has cited as an exemplary model. Our program has also been cited in a national publication by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

There are many more examples of the terrific successes we have seen this past year, such as:

implementation of world languages for all sixth graders

implementation of reduced class sizes at the elementary schools

increased participation in Advanced Placement courses

grants to build the playground at Barclay; to fund math teachers

successful orientation of over 150 teachers new to the district this past year

development of standards in all subject areas

Most important, the children of Cherry Hill are getting a great education. We are trying to meet the Board of Education`s Vision Statement which includes the phrase "all children" twice. We have come a long way in raising standards and increasing achievement, but we also know that there are still students falling through the cracks, or have not yet reached their potential. Our goal is to continue to find ways to reach all students…to blow away the ceiling and to raise the floor.

If anywhere in America the goal of reaching all children can be met, it is here in Cherry Hill.

Thank you to the teachers, administrators, and staff members who have dedicated their professional lives to serving students. Thank you to the Cherry Hill community for the love, support, and energy you provide to our staff and your children every day.

Sincerely, Mort Sherman Superintendent of Schools

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Author: Mort Sherman Superintendent - Courtesy of The Cherry Hill Connection

From The Superintendent…Thanks for Everything!

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