RBR Superintendent Misrepresents Survey Data at Presentation in Favor of New English Program.

At the January 18th, 2023 Board meeting Dr. Moore shared student survey data regarding the new embedded honors English option in 9th grade.  He shared that 89.4% of the students agreed that the fiction and nonfiction texts are engaging and challenging.  Additionally, Dr. Moore shared that 90.2% of students agreed that the class allows them to work with their classmates to analyze difficult passages. 

The reality was very different after the raw data of the survey was OPRA requested through the Open Public Records Act.  Here is what the actual analysis of the survey data looks like:

55% of the students agreed that the fiction and nonfiction texts are engaging and challenging.

68% of the students agreed that the class allows them to work their classmates to analyze difficult passages.

*The student survey has been the only data presented to the community regarding the embedded honors English program. 

The RBR students and community deserve a leader who acts in good faith. The embedded honors option is a punitive and exclusive program.  RBR is a unique school with a beautifully diverse population.  A good leader could make RBR an example of how three different communities come together to share their differences, embrace them and lift each other up.  Every student should know that they have the potential to do GREAT things by finding their strengths and having access to rigor and challenge in those areas.  Removing the 10th grade standalone honors English takes away an opportunity from any student with a strength in English.  

Furthermore, the 10th grade AP ELA and the 10th grade Rutgers Expository Writing Class are extremely advanced 11th grade level classes.  VERY FEW students would meet the criteria to be enrolled in those classes and everyone else would be left with the punitive and exclusive embedded honors English option.  

Please email the RBR BOE members and voice your concerns.  Even more important, show up on April 4th and urge the BOE to vote NO to the curriculum until the 10th grade standalone honors English is put back in place. 

RBR BOE Members Email Addresses:

rmendelson@rbrhs.org

pnoble@rbrhs.org

smcbride@rbrhs.org

edoherty@rbrhs.org

jgarofalo@rbrhs.org

mcrystian@rbrhs.org

tgibb@rbrhs.org

jvenino@rbrhs.org

jlipp@rbrhs.org

RBR Business Administrator Email Address (make sure to cc her):

dpappagallo@rbrhs.org