Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Issue 15: July 2024
Riley Gartland
2023 New Jersey Milken Educator
Cinnaminson High School
Cinnaminson Township Public Schools
My name is Riley Gartland, and I am a math teacher at Cinnaminson High School. I am also one of the 2023 Milken Educator Award recipients. As we celebrate National Make a Difference to Children Month this July, it's a perfect time to reflect on the profound impact we have as educators. Often, when asked, "What do you teach?", our natural response is to mention our subjects—math, science, history, or any other discipline or grade level. However, the true essence of our profession goes far beyond any curriculum. We teach to make a difference. Our goal is to shape the lives of our students, fostering their growth not just as learners, but as future leaders and changemakers.
To our beloved students, we encourage you to open your hearts and minds to the guidance that your teachers can provide. Allow us to be the mentors who help you navigate through challenges while also celebrating your successes.
To my fellow educators, let us remember that we as teachers make a difference to students, so that they can, in turn, make a difference in the world. Our students' potential to make a difference is immense, and by embracing the lessons and support offered to them, they can transform their aspirations into reality.
As we enjoy the summer months, I hope we can all take the hard-earned time off to relax and re-energize as we look to continue to shape young minds in the school year to come.
Featured NJDOE School of the Month—Summer Learning
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) is deeply invested in championing the expansion of summer learning opportunities for students. The research is clear — when students have more opportunities to engage in learning outside of the school day or year, their academic achievement increases. The NJDOE has designed resources that support teachers and school leaders in curating high-quality summer learning opportunities.
Understanding High-Quality Summer Learning
According to the United States Department of Education, high-quality summer learning programming is defined as “meeting students’ social, emotional, mental/physical health, and academic needs, and addressing the impact of COVID-19 on students’ opportunity to learn.” Whether it be providing high-quality materials or technical assistance, the quality of students’ educational experiences is always top of mind.
To ensure summer programs are high quality, providers should focus on:
- Increasing students’ academic achievement
- Attending to gaps
- Removing barriers to access
For more information about indicators for high-quality summer and out-of-school time learning, check out the New Jersey Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Professional Network’s Quality Standards for Afterschool and Summer Learning.
Resources
NJDOE has resources to help district leaders, teachers and families support their students during the summer months. In the summer of 2023, the NJDOE released the Summer Learning Program Development Workbook and Companion Guide. The resource is a step-by-step guide to building rich and engaging summer programs. Informed by research from the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) and The Wallace Foundation, this guide operationalizes the NSLA Quality Improvement Cycle. It takes users through a comprehensive twelve-month calendar of tasks and activities to bolster the effectiveness of their summer learning opportunities.
Workshop Series — Session IV: The Reflection Stage
To accompany the 2023 summer learning guidance, the NJDOE hosted four workshop sessions that correspond with the stages of NSLA’s Quality Improvement Cycle — planning, training, assessing, and reflecting. The final sessions, taking place this August, will cover the reflection stage. This stage focuses on utilizing feedback and student achievement data to inform programmatic improvements for the next summer.
This session is an opportunity for districts to:
- Debrief
- Bring forth lessons learned
- Discuss successes from Summer 2024
For more information and to register, visit the NJDOE Events webpage.