Montclair High School is in good shape and will only get better in the months ahead, said the school’s Interim Principal Judith Weiss.
Weiss, a veteran educator, school administrator and state education official, has spent the past three months walking the halls of the high school complex, meeting with students, listening to their concerns, and discussing issues and procedures with teachers and staff in Montclair’s landmark secondary school.
She has come away impressed with the students and the staff and has high hopes for both.
"I’ve really come to appreciate the nuances of Montclair High School and its breadth of opportunity for students, whether it be in the incredible variety of courses that are offered to students, or the amazing number of clubs that are available to them," Weiss said from her office overlooking MHS’ spacious front courtyard.
"Montclair High School is a very, very complex place, but that’s one of the things that makes it such an outstanding place," Weiss said.
Weiss took the helm of Montclair’s largest public school in August only two months after Mel Katz announced his retirement. Katz, who had been principal for the past five years, is currently assisting the district with special assignments.
Schools Superintendent Frank Alvarez said Weiss, who came out of retirement herself, was not asked to merely be a caretaker but was given a specific assignment.
In the wake of a recent state-mandated school review which found MHS lacking in a number of areas, district officials told Weiss to go back to the drawing board and launch a stricter enforcement of the school’s existing attendance policies. She was also told to improve communications within the school.
A 41-page report, based on the Collaborative Assessment and Planning for Achievement (CAPA) School review conducted last spring, cited MHS for a lack of "understanding among the school community of the relationship between and among structure, freedom, academic excellence and maturation." The CAPA report also said there was "no formal process of communication within the school."
Weiss responded by reminding returning students that while MHS still has an open campus, students would be required to be in class on time or face detention. Repeat offenders face weekend detention. While unexcused absences could result in lost credit. Offenders were also told that their parents would be notified of any infractions.
"The kids were wonderful," Weiss said. "As many complaints as I heard initially about the new attendance procedures, the kids were really very adaptable to them. I was amazed.
"There were some stragglers who came in late, but for the most part they’ve been on time," she said. "The teachers have been so positive about some of the changes. They feel appreciated. That’s important because they should."
Alvarez said Montclair High School is fortunate to get a person with Weiss’ experience and skills to fill in while district administrators conduct a search for a permanent replacement. The search process is already under way. It had been expected to produce a candidate by January. However, Alvarez said it is likely the process will continue through the end of the current school year.
MHS has more 2,000 students, and a staff of more than 125 teachers and administrators. The students and staff utilize two vast classroom buildings that occupy parts of two blocks.
Its size ranks it among the largest high schools in New Jersey and as School Board President John Carlton has said, "MHS is more like a small liberal arts college."
Weiss said she is compiling a diary with a list of suggestions and recommendations she will pass on to the person selected to take over as principal on a permanent basis. In the meantime, she is tackling several weighty issues including the budget.
Weiss has already had meetings with building and grounds staff to review if there are any urgent repairs or improvements that will need to be included in a capital budget. Subsequent staff meetings will go over expenses covered in the operating budget.
"It gets more and more difficult every year," Weiss said. "There are federal and state mandates we must meet, but both the federal and state governments have been lacking in providing funding to meet those mandates."
