Trenton,
May 10 – New Jersey’s school principals find that
their school buildings come up short in meeting specific curricula
needs, such as science, music/art, physical and special education,
preschool and after-school activities, and community access.
These
findings are from a survey
study (PDF, 509KB) of NJ school principals released
in Trenton today. The study was initiated by the Building
Education Success Together (BEST)
collaborative, supported by the Ford Foundation. Dr. Mark
Schneider, Distinguished Professor of Political Science at
the State University of New York, conducted the study. The
New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA)
and the Education Law Center (ELC)
hope to use the results to press for changes in the State’s
facilities construction program.
A
majority of principals (80%) thought their schools were educationally
adequate overall, but, in the specific areas of science, music/art,
physical and special education, preschool and after school
activities, and community access, those same principals see
a need for improvement, stated NJPSA President Dan Money.
"Our
principals felt strongly that they, their teachers, and the
community as a whole need more opportunities to provide input
regarding the planning and design of construction projects.
We must ensure that the curriculum needs are our first priority,"
Money continued.
Dr.
Schneider noted that by a large margin principals view their
training in facility management as less adequate than their
training for other aspects of their jobs. "School principals
are critical to the management and design of an educational
facility," noted Schneider, "and they must be given
the tools and resources necessary for success."
David
Sciarra, ELC Executive Director, noted that the study results
highlighted the need for improvements to New Jersey’s
landmark school construction program. "As we continue
to renovate and build new schools, we must directly engage
principals in the planning and design process. If principals
are involved, along with teachers and parents, our school
buildings will be better equipped to deliver high quality
programs, particularly in specialized areas such as science
and the arts," Mr. Sciarra stated.
According
to Mary Filardo, Executive Director of BEST, "The need
to upgrade school facilities to meet curricula requirements
in New Jersey is widespread. While the problems of poor facilities
are often most severe in low income communities—urban
and rural—the mismatch between facilities and curricula
is in fact a national issue. Without clear policy changes,
this problem will accelerate, particularly as science testing
mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act comes into force."
