2012 is nearing an end, and with it Dr. Richard Heflich’s tenure as Oakland’s superintendent of schools for the K-8 school system.
As part of the search process for a new superintendent, the Oakland Board of Ed has implemented a survey online to get feedback from residents. A relatively short survey of about 25 interrogatories where a user will apply a 1-thru-5 ranking for each.
The survey will end on December 19th, but the search for a new superintendent will continue beyond December 31st when Heflich leaves office.
The beginning of 2013 will see Dr. Jeffrey Feifer come into Oakland as interim superintendent. Feifer was previously superintendent in Closter, and had recently acted as interim superintendent for Norwood and then Oradell.
Having held a variety of positions in the Bergen County area, Feifer comes as a known entity – accomplished and appreciated in his previous positions.
According to the Bergen Record, the Oakland school board expects no drastic changes to be implemented during the interim period; but, Feifer expects to assist in the search for a new superintendent, and offer a “fresh pair of eyes” to the Oakland school system.
What might Oakland expect from a “fresh pair of eyes” remains to be seen, but Feifer should find much of Oakland’s schools to offer a familiar landscape.
America has been preoccupied with programs like George Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” and Barack Obama’s “Race To The Top”, which financially reward or punish schools based on performance. Less discussed are the theories, methodologies, and practices that are implemented to earn those rewards – so Dr. Feifer’s appointment offers that opportunity.
Long before any Oakland student was born, and well before most of their parents were even married, Feifer was earning a doctorate degree from Columbia University and co-authored a dissertation that sheds a little light on his philosophy concerning education.
Feifer’s dissertation, entitled “School Culture as a Tapestry” examined a classroom challenge that is most particular to American schools – diversity. No nation is as culturally diverse as America.
The majority of schools throughout the world never face the issue of cultural diversity; most students share the same religion, same national heritage, and same ancestral heritage. This common experience is not prevalent in American schools — even for those districts that on the surface appear less diverse.
Feifer’s dissertation took a constructivist approach towards educating school administrators as to how they might deal with the challenges faced by diversity; it can be assumed that he held a similar viewpoint with regards to students.
Constructivism is a learning theory that many parents and students in Oakland are familiar with – but perhaps unfamiliar with the term.
The Oakland school district tagline, “A Learning Community Committed to Excellence!” reflects a constructivist approach to education. It reflects the concept of a community, and individuals learning from each other. (Many parents might recognize a greater amount of group work taking place in the classroom in comparison to previous generations.)
Built off the work of John Dewey in the beginning of the 19th century, the constructivist theory is often described as students constructing knowledge by working to solve realistic problems; “learning how to learn” is another phrase used to explain constructivist methodologies.
In practice, Singapore Math is an example of a constructivist approach. It incorporates methodologies where students are encouraged to explore different processes to arrive at the correct answer; in turn becoming more comfortable and proficient with the material.
On the other hand, Singapore Math could be used as an example by those who favor more traditional methods. A traditional teaching approach in math would demand that the multiplication table be written out and memorized – learned by rote repetition.
For those interested in reading more on how students learn, Dr. Feifer’s alma mater, Columbia University, offers a succinct 5 point, one page, outline entitled “What We Know About How Students Learn”
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