At the core of Hoboken Public Schools are three guiding principles: innovation, inclusion, and opportunity. Superintendent Dr. Christine Johnson explains,“We do everything we possibly can to create the most unique and innovative programs for all of our students, making sure that we are including every child in every educational opportunity that we put out there.” LAUNCHING SUCCESS FROM DAY ONE Understanding the critical role of early childhood education, Hoboken Public Schools provides a free, full-day preschool program for its youngest learners. Serving more than 1,000 children in 65 classrooms, the district implements the Tools of the Mind curriculum to help students build a strong foundation for future academic success. “Our goal with preschool education is to provide equal opportunity, equal access, early education to every single three and four year old in our community,” says Superintendent Johnson.“When it’s time to enroll in kindergarten, they have all experienced educational, social, emotional, and play opportunities so that they can be successful in the early elementary years.” FOCUSED FOUNDATIONS IN LITERACY & MATHEMATICS While many school districts across the country faced extended closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoboken Public Schools remained open—an approach that helped reduce learning loss. Looking ahead, the district is placing a strong emphasis on literacy by adopting the Orton-Gillingham method, a multisensory approach to reading instruction. With over 100 educators trained in this evidence-based technique, students are gaining essential reading and phonics skills from the earliest grades. “We are just lucky enough to have an organization like the Hoboken Public Education Foundation,” says Assistant Superintendent Sandra Rodriguez-Gomez. “They heard us, really vetted our thinking around what we intended to do and the impact we knew we could have, to take something as specific as the Orton-Gillingham Tactile Learning Model and bring it into our classrooms.”Thanks to their backing, 100% of Hoboken’s K–2 teachers are now trained in the method, and model classrooms using this approach 239 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 06 HOBOKEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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