A Meeting of the MINDS!

Well PEP had an outstanding inaugural meeting of minds last night!

My gratitude and thanks to all you who came out last night! We had representation from every single school last night including PTO Board Members, Parents, Community Members and District Personnel. This is PEP in motion. This IS what PEP is about -- Forging Partnerships inclusive of every single stakeholder in the city of Plainfield -- determined, poised and committed to MOVING THIS DISTRICT FORWARD!

We have a NEW PEP Board, Research Correspondent & Advisors. And They Are:

Co-Vice President: Vicky Hubbard
Co-Vice President: Alicia Jones
Research Correspondent: Maria Pellum
Program Advisor: Dr. Susan Phifer
Policy Advisor: Debbie Meyers

Note: The President, Secretary and Honorary Board Member remain as is!

Last night each attendee was asked to share a quote, belief or expression that is the guiding principle for their life. And here’s what they had to said:

• People have a right to an education without fear.
• Children are the key! That is all that matters!
• No one rises to low expectations!
• God is a light and salvation.
• Treat others the way You want to be treated.
• Jesus Christ is the way.
• Do your best today!
• It takes a village to raise a child.
• In the eyes of God we are all equal.
  

How profound!!! If I could hand pick people to partner with – these are the people I would select. PEP is honored to have them and these guiding principles as part of the team!

And on a final thought…you've seen it before and I'll share it again – my guiding principle:

Our Greatest FearMarianne Williamson ~ A Return to Love

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

The Pleasure of Your Company is Requested

In the Matter of Moving this District
Towards Educational Excellent!

I Call YOU all to a Level
of RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION!

But NOT to incite riotous discord!

But rather – to PROVOKE YOU in Love and Good Works!

(Hebrews 10:24)

It's Time to PEP it UP!

Calling All Community Stakeholders

(Parents, Teachers, Administrators, City Officials, Clergy & Plainfield Residents)

The Time is NOW and We are HOW!

By now we have all had a chance to view the District's leadership strategic plan and direction as presented during the townhall meetings. Now it is time for us to convene and see exactly how we map into that grand scheme.

Join PEP Monday, September 29th at Washington Community School as we explore the challenges, the recommendations for solutions and future opportunities for partnership.

Repeat After Me...

ALL GROUPS that are not legally operating as a PTA -- but are formed by, made up of, or are for parents with the purpose of empowering, educating and helping to navigate through a school district are by default PTOs (Parent Teacher Organizations).

There is NO such thing as a NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PTO (period).


PTOs, PTA, PACs (which by the way stands for Parent Advisory Council) and PEP should function INDEPENTENTLY from the principals, district or BOE.

This DOES NOT mean you go around doing whatever you want to in someone's school – that’s disrespectful! And further it is not the type of behavior that supports the collaboration we need to move this district forward.

What is does mean is that Parents are responsible for creating the mission, vision and activities of the parent group based on the desires and goals of the parent group body for their respective school.

What is DOES mean is that parent groups should work hand and hand with the school administration to come to agreement on the direction and goals of the parent group.

What is DOES mean is that principals although they have the legal authority to oversee any and all activities that take place in their school -- they do not have the authority to dictate, run ramshod or control parent groups. "That would be like having the Fox guard the chicken coop."

In effect -- parent groups and administrators should be PARTNERS in the successful implementation of school based – child focused activities.

2 Be or NOT 2 BE...Now that really is the QuEsTiOn??

Let’s talk about PTOs, PTAs, PACs and ooh Yes – PEP.

Probably the most nationally recognized organization among these acronyms is PTAs (Parent Teacher Associations). Of all the parent groups noted PTAs are the ONLY NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED entity. That is to say, there are rules, regulations, laws and yes dues for membership and there are directives from the national Level body that governs how PTAs are ran in terms of officers, fiscal recording, dues collection, IRS reporting etc…

Now here’s the most important part of this article – ALL OTHER GROUPS that are formed by, made up of, or are for parents with the purpose of empowering, educating and helping to navigate through a school district are by default PTOs (Parent Teacher Organizations). There is NO such thing as a NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PTO (period). There is no governing body “nationally” there are no laws, rules or regulations specific to PTO, however there ARE guiding principles for developing an effective PTO and there are nationally recognized resources (e.g. PTO Today, Inc.) that provide sample by-laws, descriptions of PTO Officers' responsibilities, recommendations for obtaining tax exempt status and all things PTO.

Before I sign off I wanted to leave all Parent Groups in Plainfield a few tidbits for making sure you function effectively, efficiently and within your group's purview with the greatest benefit to our children.

• PTOs, PTA, PACs (which by the way stands for Parent Advisory Council) and PEP should function INDEPENTENTLY from the principals, district or BOE. This DOES NOT mean you go around doing whatever you want to in someone's school – that’s disrespectful! What is does mean is that Parents are responsible for creating the mission, vision and activities of the parent group based on the desires and goals of the parent group body for their respective school. What is DOES mean is that you should work hand and hand with the school administration to come to agreement on the direction and goals of the parent group. In effect -- parent groups and administrators should be PARTNERS in the successful implementation of school based – child focused activities.
• All Parent Groups should have an EIN (Employee Identification Number [this is an IRS Tax ID]) this enables you to open up a bank account and function as a fundraising entity.
• All Parent Groups should CONSIDER applying for 501(c) 3 status. This IRS designation identifies you as a tax-exempt non-profit organization. Which can than legally solicit and receive tax-exempt donations from organizations such as United Way, Employer Charitable Match programs and the like.
• All Parent Groups should secure INSURANCE. I know this is a BIG ONE, but to protect us, the officers of the parent groups and our children – there is NO GETTING AROUND THIS.

Now here’s were PEP comes in. PEP’s goal is to make sure these relationships, organizational structures and protective measures happen! That is the nexus for why I do what I do.

In the final analysis and by definition PEP is a PTO and so it stands to reason that any and all allocations for parent groups with a focus on parental involvement would qualify for NCLB-Title I funds. Right? Well – huh… I tell you more tomorrow.

As a Matter of FACT...

By now I hope those of you who read PEPTalk and know me personally know that my goal is always to keep Parents and the Plainfield Community informed so that we can come to the table not asking favors, but rather negotiating equitable parental representation and involvement with regard to moving our school district forward and effectively educating our children. On a regular basis I share with each of you my experiences as I work with various district personnel in an effort to promote parental involvement in hopes that you will avoid missteps, but more to the point -- optimize your interactions and results with PPS.

Today I’d like to discuss No Child Left Behind (NCLB) - Title I Funding for Parental Involvement. This is an enormous policy with very little if any guidance for parent groups in this district. Before I begin, I’d like each of you to do four (4) things so that as I share my experiences you are better able to understand and hopefully partner with your respective school’s administrators.

First - print and read the following documents.

(One is huge, but the bottom line is – in order for us to insure our children are adequately educated, and to hold those responsible and accountable for same – we have GOT TO understand for ourselves (not what is given to us by the district – but for ourselves!) what is required of all parties – and that includes us as PARENTS.

• NCLB – Engaging Parents in Education
• Funding for Title I Parental Involvement

Second – attend the Plainfield Family Success Center (Grand Opening) scheduled tomorrow from 4 – 7 PM at PHS (Old Building – Rm# 403).

Third – attend the Town Hall meeting at Evergreen School scheduled at 7 PM on the same day.

And finally - consider the information provided at the success center versus the information within the two attached documents, versus the information shared at the Town Hall meeting. Identify the gaps and begin to develop a list of what they offer, versus what you need, versus what is State supported. For now, I’ll stay away from the word “mandated” because there are certain rules that you and I must follow as parent groups to enable us to take advantage of “mandated” funding.

There’s a lot of issues surfacing about how the administration is making decisions, what decisions are being made, who’s making them, too many mistakes etc…but quite honestly they mean absolutely nothing if we do not get ourselves collectively engaged in a partnership that WE define for ourselves and OWN! It is not enough to post it in forums and expect there to be either change or accountability.

We have got to be FRONT and CENTER at every opportunity to engage in face-to-face dialog with our district administrators. We owe it to our children, to their future and to ourselves as parents who are hell bent on seeing that our children do better than we are doing.

I implore you! – take the time to read and understand these documents. Come to the Town Hall Meeting. Let your presence be your present to your child’s educational future.

I’ll post more specifics on my experience tomorrow and throughout the remainder of the next few weeks but for now – read on.

I look forward to learning; sharing and growing as we all gain a better understanding of parental involvement as supported by Title I – NCLB statutes.

2 -- More Parental Involvement Events...

2 -- UpComing Parental Involvement Activities

Plainfield Family Success Center (PFSC)

OPEN House

Come tour the new center & meet the staff!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

4 PM - 7 PM

Plainfield High School - (Old Building)

Rm# 403

• Refreshments will be served
• For More Info - Contact Denise Shipman: 908-731-4320; Ext. 5232
• Or visit: http://www.plainfieldnjk12.org/

A.C.T. 1 -- Scene 1

The Final Word for this Week is:

TRANSFORMATION

Noun
Trans-For-Ma-Tion

1. The act or an instance of transforming.
a. The state of being transformed.

2. A marked change, as in appearance or character, usually for the better.
(Houghton Mifflin)

1. To change in composition or structure.
a. To change the outward form or appearance
b. To change in character or condition

2. Convert
(Merriam-Webster)

-----------------------------------------
Alteration, Change, Conversion.
-----------------------------------------
I’m painting a picture here – is everyone getting it? …A.C.T…
-----------------------------------------
Plainfield is getting their A.C.T. together!
-----------------------------------------
Are YOU prepared to play your part?
-----------------------------------------

A.C.T. 1 – Scene 2
(Partnering in Progress)

The WORD for Today...

Collaboration

Col-lab-o-ra-tion

Noun

Collaboration is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together toward an intersection of common goals —by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus.

In particular, teams that work collaboratively can obtain greater resources, recognition and reward when facing competition for finite resources.

Structured methods of collaboration encourage introspection of behavior and communication. These methods specifically aim to increase the success of teams as they engage in collaborative problem solving. Forms, rubrics, charts and graphs are useful in these situations to objectively document personal traits with the goal of improving performance in current and future projects. (Wikipedia, 2008)

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1. The act of working together; united labor.
2. the act of willingly cooperating with an enemy, especially an enemy nation occupying one's own country. (Answer.com)

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Check out this write-up on Education and Collaboration

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Check YOUR Funct & Wagnall!

Our Word for today is ACCOUNTABILITY – ac-count-abil-i-ty, Noun

Whether fiscally, socially, spiritually or personally defined – it all adds up to…

The quality or state of being accountable; especially: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions.
(Merriam-Webster)

Accountability is a concept in ethics with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as answerability, enforcement, responsibility,
blameworthiness, liability and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving. As an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in both the public and private (corporation) worlds.

Accountability is defined as "A is accountable to B when A is obliged to inform B about A’s (past or future) actions and decisions, to justify them, and to suffer punishment in the case of eventual misconduct" [1].

In leadership roles, accountability is the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for actions, products, decisions, and policies including the administration, governance and implementation within the scope of the role or employment position and encompassing the obligation to report, explain and be answerable for resulting consequences.
(Wikipedia)

Liable to being called to account; answerable.
(American Heritage)

Plainfield Parents and Community -- are WE ready to be accountable to our children, our schools and our community?

This is a defining moment!

Gearing Up!

Greetings Plainfield Parents, Family, Community and Friends;

As we gear up for our 1st meeting for the 08-09 school year I wanted to share with you the agenda for our meeting.

-------------------------------------------------
Monday, September 29th
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Washington Community School
Off Darrow Avenue

(Cafetorium)
(Dinner & Childcare will be provided)

Topics For Discussion:

* Welcome
- Setting the Tone For 08-09

* Call To Action: VPs & Secretary NEEDED for PEP Board

* District Query Contest (Knowledge is Power)

* Charting The Course: Community/Parental Involvement
- Linking to the District's Core Goals

* Partnering For Progress

* Wrap-up

I look forward to sharing, learning, growing and moving our district forward with each of you!

Porkchops Anyone?

Back in August I posed a question to the “Ask The Super” post on the PPS News Blog regarding the district’s policy on volunteering in the schools. Over the past month, Maria Pellum has been diligently inquiring about our District’s policy on volunteering in an effort to pull together a packet for her school’s parents. She was given information that was dated from 1996, and after receiving this well dated material, further inquired as to whether this was representative of the current policies of the district.

I have received all the responses Maria was offered and unfortunately it still does get to the heart of the matter, and in addition the Policy (updated in 1996) that was offered differs in some very important details from the position the district has taken. This writer as a matter of respect for all parties concerned will leave it up to Maria to share verbatim or not. Suffice it to say, we are still not clear how to assist parents in understanding how they can volunteer within the district.

Help me comprehend -- why is this so difficult?

Parents want to volunteer and want to do so in a manner that is both constructive and within the district’s construct. We want to know HOW WE CAN VOLUNTEER? Independent of how the district “thinks” we should volunteer but nevertheless within the legal obligatory statutes of the district. It is not just Maria and I asking but I have had many parents ask me this question over the past two years. And more importantly – I have been unable to produce a definition of volunteer, the limitations or the policy for same per the district. This initiative maps into the 5th Core Goal of the district (Community/Parental Involvement).

If the district is committed to involving parents it must be an all inclusive, conclusive process in both identifying and participating in the development of pertinent programs. As we read through the BOE agendas we see initiatives being mapped directly to the core goals of the district. Respectfully, I take no issue with those programs that fall outside of the purview of this public (meaning me) e.g. developing HR programs, appropriate pay raises etc… but I have concern with Parental and Community initiatives that fail to reach out directly to parents and community for their input, and at the very least offers an opportunity to get involved. Developing a volunteer policy would aid us in doing this!

Help me understand – why is this so difficult?

A sound business person would not develop a pork chop vending machine within the cafeteria of a Muslim or Jewish ran company. So it stands to reason that the school district can not develop successful community and parental involvement initiatives without involving same.

I’m reposting the information from my original inquiry to the Super on this topic for your re-review.

QUESTION: Is there a district-wide policy on volunteering within PPS? Parents would like to understand how they can help -- what are the limits, qualifications etc...Can the district produce A Volunteer Handbook for PPS with stated policies and procedures? If so when? If not -- why?

RESPONSE: I am still, and may remain in the process for some time of determining what we currently have in the district and aligning it with what we actually need. Both will most importantly consider what is or has been effective. Policy questions and procedures may be directed to the Office of Administrative Services. Please now, however, that the safety and security of our children will be priority. To this end, it hould be expected that all volunteers will have to go through an appropriate screening and background review process.

Follow-up Response: Well parents -- perhaps I didn't ask the question clearly enough, but nevertheless at the very least you have a point of contact. I would suggest reaching out to the OAS for clarity on the definition of a Volunteer so as to understand if you are reading a book to your child's class every now and then would this necessitate you going through a screening and background review -- and most importantly -- who pays...?

Inquiring Minds Really Want To Know

I was trying to figure out what to write about today. Given the newness of everything in the district – it really is not fair to speak on the glitches and kinks we’ve encountered over the past 7 days of school. And if nothing else – I want to always be fair in my writing, pronouncements, inducements and criticism.

Instead -- I want to ask a question of all our educators. People, this community, communities in general, are always proclaiming to know what’s behind the motives of a teacher. So I ask you most sincerely – WHY DO YOU TEACH?



Let’s set the record straight! I await your candid responses.

*Tootles*

Gone But NOT Forgotten!

Looking For A Few Good Parents!!

Plainfield Community Girl Scouts is hosting an Adult Recruitment

Please come and join us!!!

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

What:

Learn about the Girl Scout program and how you and your daughter can get involved in a wonderful organization that allows girls to become leader, learn more about themselves and the community.

Where:

Washington Community School
427 Darrow Avenue
Plainfield, NJ 07063
Checkout mapquest for direction: http://www.mapquest.com/

When: Friday, October 3, 2008 – 7pm – 9pm

Children are welcome, planned activities and light refreshments will be served.

For more information contact Fatima Latif at 908-232-3236 ext 1218. To learn more about the Girl Scouts, check out Plainfield’s website: http://www.plainfieldgirlscouts.org/.

Out of The Mouths of Babes!

In November of last year PEP held a community forum that had a broad spectrum of community folk ranging from assemblyman to a Plainfield High School student to serve as part of the panel. The overarching purpose of the forum was to begin dialog among the various stakeholders in an effort to generate ideas on how we can collaborate to revitalize our schools and our community. One of the follow-up initiatives that spawned from this forum was the concept of a student summit.

The young lady who served on the panel -- currently a senior at PHS -- had ask that PEP and the district work together to support a student-centered initiative. As part of PEP's 08-09 goals and objectives -- which includes partnering with the schools, students and community -- I would like to work with school administrators, parents and the community to pull this summit together.

As if we needed proof that our children are concerned about their lives, their community, their livelihood and their education here is a link to a student survey conducted by Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. This yearly assessment entitled “The State of Our Nation’s Youth” covers over 45 different topics ranging from the presidential election, immigration, career plans and on-line bullying to family-specific role models, adult vs. teen responsibilities, high school pressure and parental rules.

It is a hefty 60-page read, but noteworthy information can be gleaned from pages: 4 - “School”, 5-6 – “College, Careers, Pressure and Positive Influence”, 23-25 “School Reform and Future Preparedness”, 26-27 “Involvement In School”, 31, 37, 39-41 “Making Parents Proud, Role Models, and Self Image.

So – what do you say – Isn’t it time we give them the TIME to tell us what is on their minds?

Time to PEP it UP!!!

Creating A Climate For Success

Research purports that it takes 20 days to break or build a habit. If this proves truthful than parents can start to instill good study habits with their children tomorrow and then by October 1st we should have a district full of engaged, prepared and excited student learners!

Psychologists have been investigating the process of learning and education since the early part of this century. Their research findings suggest that academic performance can be significantly increased through a systematic approach to study. It is therefore surprising that our educational system generally provides minimal instruction on good study habits and techniques. As a result, many students and adults never realize their full potential because of misconceptions, fallacies and misunderstanding about the process of study. Effective study habits are crucial to success in acquiring knowledge, whether this is in school, college or in the workforce. (Kirkman)

To help support creating a successful educational year for our children – here are some websites and tips that offer some sound advice on developing effective study habits.

7 Steps to Effective Study Habits
(The following 7 steps are based on the work of Johnson, Springer and Sternglanz in relation to time management.) Cited from: http://www.virtualed.org/kirkman/study.html#Developing

Step 1: Acknowledge that learning can be immensely satisfying and life changing
and it requires a sustained, consistent effort on your part. Success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.

Step 2: Set up a schedule for studying. Setting up a schedule will do much to prevent procrastination and also maintain motivation. By setting aside definite times for study you will also demonstrate your commitment to your goals and help maintain otivation.

Step 3: Find a place where you can study and concentrate. It is important to find a place where you can study without distractions.

Step 4: Keep a record of your study activities and review on a weekly basis. It is vitally important that you get accurate information about how much time you are spending in study each week.

Step 5: Reward your studying. Give yourself immediate tangible rewards for
successful study, such as a snack, TV show, time with friends and so on.

Step 6 : Be alert to activities which may reinforce bad study habits. Behavioral studies have consistently shown the power of rewards. However, be very careful in how you reward yourself. Make sure that you are not using rewards to reinforce a negative attitude to learning.

Step 7 : Have the right attitude. Students who complain that the subject matter is boring miss the main point. It is not the subject or the teacher who will make the course interesting. Interest is a matter of your attitude. Nobody can make you interested unless you want to be interested. Bring an inquiring mind, a positive attitude to your studies, you will find learning exciting, challenging, and interesting.

Other noteworthy sites:

Scholastics: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=1990

Zenhabits For Kids: http://zenhabits.net/2007/03/how-to-teach-your-kids-good-habits/

PPS Students Featured at City Art Show!

This year I attended the 45th Annual Art Show held at none other than our Washington Community School on Darrow Avenue in Plainfield. In the company of several highly gifted and published artists lay the work of some of Plainfield’s students. Imagine my surprise to see that my daughter not only had 1 but 2 pieces showing! Who knew my very own Picassonette! It was such a Proud MOMMY Moment!

If you are reading this today, Saturday (9/6) --and it is NOT yet 4PM --you’ve still got time to catch some of the great artists' pieces on sale as well as check out the PPS art displays to see if one of your children were featured.

Here are some photos I took with my phone camera. They are a little blurry, but perhaps your children can tell if one of their pieces is on display. Next time I’ll bring the digital camera!

Huge KUDOS to the school administrators and art teachers who provided their students artwork for display. This parent was SO EXCITED and moved by her daughter’s pride in seeing her very own artwork as part of this year’s art exhibit!

Hey Mom -- This is My Artwork!!!

Right HERE!!!

And Here TOO!

Other PPS Student's Artwork

More Student's Artwork

Called Away...but for a brief moment.

Good Day -- Family, Friends & Readers...

I have to leave for a family emergency and will not return until next Thursday.

I trust your first day of school was delightful and pray that you all will remain safe and sound until my return.

Be well & most of all DO WELL!

Fondly,
Renata

Keeping it LITE...

Like many of you -- I too am preparing for the 1st day of school. There's a lot of last minute this or that and all the craziness that goes into getting your children READY. So--I'm keeping it LITE today!

Have a WONDERFUL rest of the day and REMEMBER:

The Times...They are Changing...

As I along with other parents across the Union County Diaspora of Schools begin to prepare our children, our schedules and THEIR bedrooms for a fresh start to the 08-09 school year, a thought -- came to mind - The Journey of Million A Hearts! Now – Plainfield doesn’t have a million people, but the passion and commitment that have been stirred up by our new school administration, the new PEP leadership, a refocused BOE and a reenergized community certainly has enough kinetic energy of a million hearts.

We are in a year of exciting first, exciting starts, and an exciting future from both within the city’s limits as well as nationally. The energy of hope, the audacity to hope is crackling in the air! I am proud to be a part of this change movement in Plainfield and I am proud to be a part of the historic promise of having an African American leader of these here United States.

As parents, a community, a city – let us make sure we continue to nurture our children along this journey of million hearts. Let us teach them by example what commitment, communication and collaboration look like when everybody joins in and does their part.

The time is now…WE are how!

*Tootles*

Knowledge Transfer - Series | Concluded

Ok Plainfielder’s I'm wrapping up our discussion on CPI (Continuous Process [Plainfield] Improvement) models.

Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA – also called Deming Cycle or Shewhart Cycle)

Develop a plan for improving quality and predict the results (fact finding/data analysis, verify root causes). Execute the plan and incremental stages (consider many alternatives). Evaluate the feedback to confirm or adjust the plan (verify cause relationships). Make the plan permanent and continue to study the adjustments (set ongoing standards, measure against performance goals, ongoing feedback). The following diagram provides a good visual representation as to how this CPI model works.

TOC (Theory of Constraints)

TOC Is based on the application of scientific principles and logic reasoning such as; Strategic Questions, Focusing Steps, Buy-In processes, and Effect-Cause-Effect. According to TOC, every organization has - at any given point in time - at least one constraint which limits the system's performance relative to its goal (see Liebig's law of the minimum).

To optimize the performance of an organization, the constraint must be identified and managed effectively.

Lean Enterprise

This quality improvement process is aimed at the ELIMINATION of WASTE in EVERY area. (That’s exactly what WE NEED). The overarching goal is to incorporate the concept of concentrated effort (optimal input) to become responsive to customer demands while producing top quality output in the most efficient and economical manner possible.

All of the six models of CPI we have discussed can be used alone, in combination, or in multiples/tandem. CPI is a very exhausting initiative and Dr. Gallon will need the ENTIRE community of Plainifield; that being district personnel, parents, students and the BOE – absolutely everyone who has a stake in the educational and social viability of Plainfield, NJ must decide once and for all to commit to the necessary and exhausting process changes we are embarking upon.

With that said -- let us ramp up, stand up, and get up to support, create and partner in helping to achieve educational excellence in Plainfield.

Thank you for the opportunity to share the learning.

Be well & Do Well!