On  May  24,  Princeton  Public  Schools  held  a  board  meeting to discuss plans for the next school year. One topic the board members discussed was a potential reform to the math curriculum, which is reviewed by a presentation delivered  by  Supervisor  of  Business  and  Mathematics  Stephanie  Tidwell  on  March  29.  The  presentation  also  summarized  key  points  from  Rowan  University  Mathematics Professor Dr. Eric Milou’s research.
Since  2019,  the  district  has  provided  Pre-Algebra  Accelerated classes for sixth grade students. Afterwards, students have the option to take Algebra I Part I or Algebra I  Accelerated.  This  allows  eighth  grade  students  to  end  middle  school  at  either  Algebra  I  Part  2  or  Algebra  II  Accelerated. Entering high school, freshmen have multiple math tracks that they can take depending on their academic history and future interests. This can range from revisiting Algebra I to starting with Geometry Accelerated, Algebra II Accelerated, or Pre-Calculus Accelerated. In reviewing the current opportunities, a new math committee discussed the goals of the math program. One of these directions, put forward by Dr. Milou, was to have all high school students begin at the same level — Algebra I. With this track, seniors would end with Pre-Calculus or AP Statistics. This proposal resulted in much confusion surrounding the future of the high school math curriculum. The district then addressed these rumors in a question-and-answer format.
“We maintain the fact that our intentions were never to reduce or eliminate any courses. In fact, we’re looking at how we might be able to add more courses to the sequence,” said Tidwell. “Many of you have already seen the Program of Studies for next year. There were no changes to courses. So this [meeting] was our process of collecting  information; for what we think we can do moving forward.”
In assessing the various options to improve educational equity,  the  district  consulted  Dr.  Milou,  whose  research  supported the idea of detracking the math course, saying that it could to provide all students the same opportunities in school.  He also believes that accelerated math courses in middle school forces students to rush through the material rather than reach a full understanding of the curriculum that serves as an important foundation for advanced math. 
While  there  are  currently  no  plans  from  the  district  to  remove  higher-level  math,  these  rumors  sparked  discussions regarding the importance of accelerated and AP  courses,  and  the  need  to  address  the  achievement  gap.  As  accelerated  courses have always been a part of PHS’s academic  culture,  many  members  of  the  PPS  community  have  voiced  their  disagreements with the district’s presented method.  AP  Calculus  teacher  Valerie  Rodriguez  describes  PHS  as  unique  because students are always striving to be high-achieving  and  challenged  by  their  courses,  thus  making  accelerated  and  AP courses an integral part of a student’s academic journey.
“I  think  that  allowing  the  opportunity  for  a  student  to  maximize  their  growth  in  a  class  is  a  positive,”  said  Rodriguez. “With that being said, I think we are constantly looking  to  branch  out  ...  to  find  other  areas  of  interest  that are related to mathematics that we can build rigorous courses around, so that one does not have to stay kind of stuck to the traditional pathway of math. ... Math has so many different pockets in our lives. And [if ] we can tap into different interests and passions mathematically, but also achieve the academic rigor that we’re always looking for, that would be a win for everybody.”
Aside from teachers, parents also voiced their concerns over the district’s direction with the math curriculum. A parent group formed and wrote an eight-page statement in which they detailed their disagreements with the district’s proposal, provided suggestions for moving forward, and presented overall frustrations with the board. Similar to Rodriguez,  Leonidas  Nguyen  and  Ryan  Bubb,  parents  of  PPS  students  and  writers  of  the  report,  believe  that  removing  higher-level  courses  is  not  synonymous  with  achieving equity. 
“There’s a definition of equity that we quote in our report, and at the heart of it is giving every child the support they need to reach their fullest potential. And what that means for some kids in certain subjects is they will have a knack for that subject, and will learn at a quicker pace,” said Bubb. “Of course, that’s just variation in the human  condition. And when that happens, I think those kids have a right to a form of instruction, where they learn new things in each class every day. And  it’s  inequitable  to  those  students  to  not meet them where they are.”
Furthermore, the parent group believes that  the  removal  of  higher-level  math  could  increase  inequities  even  more,  especially  if  families  will  have  to  resort to advancing studies on their own.“If  my  children  aren’t  able  to  take  math  courses  that  are  appropriate  for  their  current  level  of  mastery  of  math,   we   will   go   get   their   math   education   elsewhere. We are very blessed and will be able to do that. But not everyone  in  this  community  has  the  resources  to  do that.  And  it’s  those  families  that  will  be  most  affected,”  Nguyen said. 

PPS Math curriculum review initiates conversations about equity


PHS’s celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month culminated in a student-run assembly on November 3 which students of all grades attended.

The assembly took place in the Performing Arts Center in four identical sessions, one for each grade level, on a modified homeroom day. Four class periods were extended so that the assemblies could take their place, while the other periods were shortened.

Benjamin Nuland ’23 opened the event as student performers walked from the PAC doors towards the stage with Hispanic country flags draped over their shoulders according to their ethnicities.

“I’m really happy I could represent my culture and have an opportunity to show people who we really are,” said Julian Velazquez ’23, who wore the Paraguay flag.

The Pledge of Allegiance was then recited in Spanish, followed by its English translation. In the month prior to the assembly, student organizers delivered the pledge in both Spanish and English during daily morning announcements. PHS Principal Frank Chmiel credited the repetition of the pledge with greater student awareness of the celebration.

“In the past, celebrating [Hispanic Heritage Month] might have been a couple of announcements. I liked the way we did it this month because it was very well-rounded, especially from the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish,” said Chmiel. “It was always on people’s minds, what we were doing.”

Student involvement in the assembly ranged from the organizer team to the performers onstage, including PHS Studio Band. The organizing team included members from the PHS Latinos Unidos Club as well as teacher facilitators, though it was open to anyone who wanted to contribute. Many organizers also showcased their talents at the assembly, including Nuland and Sarah Villamil ’23.



As speakers, Nuland and Villamil were able to maintain their energy throughout the day by focusing on the audience.

“You’re excited to perform in front of your class ... It’s the nerves and excitement of doing it each time that [was what] kept you on your toes,” Villamil said.

Nuland had initially been surprised at the audience’s level of engagement, though appreciated the response.

We didn’t expect the audience to be so supportive. We’d like to thank the audience for the amazing experience that we got as well,” Nuland said.

In addition to the assembly, the organizers also created smaller competitions and demonstrations for students to participate in throughout the month. Most notably, these activities included a schoolwide door-decorating contest and an art exhibit at the Numina Gallery.

The door-decorating contest pitted homerooms against each other with the first-place promise of catered lunch from Tortuga’s Mexican Village and a second-place prize of candy-filled piñatas.

First place went to room 145, which included a mannequin wearing a Mexican dress positioned outside the room and decorative art on the door and nearby walls. Second place went to room 242, which incorporated strings of lights into their decor and had pictures of flags that flipped upward to reveal a fun fact about the country. Two runners-up were selected: room 163, which also displayed flags prominently, and room 191 (the Black Box Theater), which displayed red stage curtains around a life-sized cutout of Hispanic singer Lin Manuel Miranda.

“The reason why [room 145] was the overall winner is they really went beyond the door,” said Chmiel. “And that was one of the criteria, [if they would] just stay with the door and barely cover it or [go beyond] and give it ... three-dimensionality.”

Amanda Sun ’24 enjoyed the assembly and events and felt they added to her understanding of PHS’s cultural diversity.

“I thought the whole month was a really cool showcase of Hispanic culture at [PHS] and there was a lot of stuff to take in during the assembly specifically, like the flags and dancing,” said Sun. “Everyone was really talented and you could tell the organizers worked hard on putting it all together.”

The assembly had hundreds of students in attendance at each of its four showings. Chmiel believes events like this will promote greater cultural awareness in the PHS community, especially when they involve so many students.

“We want to send our PHS Tigers into the world as global citizens who’ll be understanding of other cultures,” said Chmiel. “Showing commitment as a school is memorable since we only have a few assemblies a year ... After special events it’s like, ‘Oh, right, this is very important.’”

Chmiel looks to follow a similar formula to organize future culture-themed month celebrations, including Black History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Pride Month.

“I don’t know if we’ll have assemblies for all of them. A lot gets determined by the team of people we put together. So what’s important to me is that we find as many people who are a part of that culture and involve them,” Chmiel said.

The organizers seek to continue the celebration in the following years.

“We’ll one hundred percent have it next year. But of course, [we’ll] work hard to make it better than the last,” said Nuland. “We have new members in the group, so we’ll have better ideas. We’ll work towards a better product.”

SCHOOLWIDE ASSEMBLY CAPS OFF PHS’S CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

On October 13, students and faculty came together for the fall PHS Pep Rally. The event welcomed several of PHS’s musical and athletic programs and included grade-wide relay races as well as competitions between students and faculty.

Earlier in the day, sophomores and juniors took the PSAT before heading to the Tiger Stadium. The rally was intentionally scheduled so that students who tested in the morning would have a chance to unwind.

“Usually, if you do PSAT in the morning, the classes are kind of a wash. If you try to have a schedule of classes [in the afternoon], everyone’s all burnt out, [so] no one’s paying attention anyway. So the idea of using the afternoon for a fun school activity is why we had the pep rally there,” said PHS Principal Frank Chmiel.

Chmiel applauded the teamwork that went into organizing the pep rally on top of PSAT testing and supervising students across school’s campus.

“Managing the PSAT in the morning while trying to set up for the pep rally was a challenge. But it was a fun challenge because I didn’t have to do it alone. We have a whole team of people,” Chmiel said.

With many new additions and changes to the rally, PHS Dean of Students Diana Lygas was excited to see the planning come to life.

“I was super excited for Mr. Chmiel because he brought a new life into what our pep rally could be. And I was excited for him to bring in some new components that we’ve never seen before, bringing a lot more energy and enthusiasm,” Lygas said.

The Student Advisory Board also helped plan the event and facilitated several activities during the rally.

“I want to give credit to our Student Advisory Committee and Student Council members who helped with planning, picking events, organizing things — they were literally counting people for relay races. I’m just very proud of our school,” Chmiel said.

The event kicked off with an introduction of Student Council members, followed by a cappella performances of the Star-Spangled Banner and PHS’s alma mater sung by Around Eight and Cat’s Meow, respectively. After cheerleading performances, PHS’s fall sports teams were honored by being introduced onto the field.

“It was really fun. We’ve never done anything like this before, and I’ve always wanted to do more high school stuff like this. So it was really great that [Principal] Chmiel put it together,” said varsity girls field hockey player Erin Kiesewetter ’22.

Some of the rally’s events required students to sign up beforehand in order to participate, including a balloon-popping relay race, a tricycle race, and a tug-of-war. All three followed similar formats, where participants from each grade competed to determine a winner who would then play against a staff member. The final event was cut slightly short after the rope for tug-of-war snapped; however, it brought more enthusiasm for a rematch in the next pep rally.

Overall, students at the event agreed that the pep rally revitalized PHS school spirit.

“It was really cool to see all the sports teams out here and everyone cheering,” said Emily Wu ’23.

Echoing student opinions, Chmiel also sees the importance of pep rallies.

“Pep rallies are extremely important for bringing the school together. First, [they honor] our hard-working scholar-athletes. Our scholar-athletes really sacrifice a lot of their time. They bring home a lot of their school work after long practices, and they represent our school so well ... So it’s important as a school community to take time out to honor the athletes just like you honor your performing artists and your visual artists,” Chmiel said.

While the pep rally brought many successes, Chmiel hopes that the energy showcased at the rally will carry into other school events. He believes that maintaining engagement with the crowd is crucial to bringing the school community closer.

“I’d love to see the sports teams literally run up to the fence and run up to the crowds of students, [and] high five people. But this is a process of building this culture of school spirit and camaraderie and rallying behind our sports,” said Chmiel. “It’s a culture that you have to develop over time. But I’m in for the long haul.”

Looking forward, there are plans to have pep rallies every sports season to honor all student-athletes and to bring the school together as a whole. Cheering loudly with the students, Chmiel wants to show that all these events are part of the memorable high school experience.

“I think you could hear from my voice, it’s a little hoarse. I get a little crazy ... I know I’m gonna have to deal with it for the next like three or four days, but I’m going to be okay. I’ll heal up and I’ll be ready to bring it the next pep rally,” Chmiel said.



PHS holds fall pep rally after a week of spirit events



PHS students Mitalee Pasricha ’23, Emily Wu ’23, Katherine Monroe ’23, and Nicole Vassilev ’22 stand in solidarity with the Asian American community at the rally on March 27 Photo courtesy of Katherine Chang
On March 27, members of the Princeton community including PHS students, staff, and alumni held a rally calling for solidarity with Asian American communities in the wake of the Atlanta mass shootings that resulted in the deaths of eight individuals,  six of whom were Asian women. Over 3,000 individuals attended the event at Hinds Plaza while abiding by the mandatory mask and social distancing guidelines.

The rally followed a roughly two-hour schedule, beginning with a brief welcoming speech by Reverend Robert Moore of the Coalition for Peace Action followed by a vigil in honor of the eight victims in the Atlanta shooting, which included a name-reading and a minute of silence. Following the keynote speakers, pre-selected community members were allotted three minutes each to deliver their messages.

Each speaker supplied their own perspective and voice during their allotted time, speaking about personal and historical experiences of discrimination, their racial identity, and the importance of taking action and demanding change. The speakers at the vigil included citizen leaders from the community, professors from Princeton University, and even current students, teachers, and alumni in the Princeton Public Schools, including Yingying Zhao ’20,  Zoey Nuland ’25, PHS teacher Dr. Joy Barnes-Johnson, and PHS Assistant Principal Cecilia Birge.

“It is our dream // That we can live in a world // Without fuss // Where everyone is us, and no one is ‘them,’” recited Nuland, a student at Princeton Unified Middle School, from a self-written poem.

The speeches elicited emotional reactions from the audience and the speakers alike.

“It's just so touching when you see tears rolling down their faces as Zoey Nuland and Yingying [Zhao] read their points, you know that you touched emotion that's so raw, something that has been silenced for too long,” said  Birge.

Xiaobing Li, another community organizer of the event and a PHS parent, echoed Birge’s sentiments, recognizing the universal nature of the lessons that could be taken from the speeches.

“I am Asian American myself, and I learned so much from the speakers. I think that is true for all community members, regardless of their ethnic groups,” Li said.

Birge contacted local organizations and associations in order to plan the event, but she initially had not anticipated how large it would become.

“Frankly, I did not expect to organize a 3,000 [person] rally. It was just going to be a small vigil at Tiger Park, and then once we began to get more and more people asking us about it, we ended up relocating after talking to the police department… it started from a small thought that was supposed to be comforting and healing and evolved into a vigil with the entire community and a rally supported by 18 community organizations,” Birge said.

After news of the rally spread through social media and word of mouth, PHS student turnout was high.

“It spread pretty widely amongst the student body from what I saw. I know some people were able to get some of their friends on board. And I did see some people who I knew at the rally as well… I do know that social media helped spread it amongst the student body significantly,” said Han Li ’23.

Beyond just attending the event, many PHS students and alumni volunteered in various positions. Michaela Guo ’20 and Emily Choi ’22 volunteered as emcees, and Julia Zhang ’21 served as a demonstration marshal.

Although the rally’s aim was to support the Asian American community, many of the attendees and even speakers belonged to different racial and ethnic groups. The concept of “solidarity” was brought up in many speeches as a necessity for meaningful action, which can be defined as a feeling of unity in feeling and action between groups with shared interests.

“We [tried] to get as diversified speakers as possible from different organizations and different ethnic groups to really show that everybody's in this fight, not just Asians, and not just minority groups, but it's really everybody… we have to be one voice to stop the hate,” Xiaobing Li said.

Many PHS students who attended the event also shared similar sentiments emphasizing the importance of uniting various groups together in efforts to tackle racially unjust structures and situations.

“Especially in recent times, I think we've seen a lot of activism from all different racial groups and I think it's really nice to see how all of these movements come together because we're all fighting for the same purpose — we're all fighting for equality… It's really easy to show consistency in your activism by not only supporting one movement but then also showing solidarity with all of the other movements,” said Ayo Lin Ince ’22, who has both Black and Asian heritage and attended the rally.

Organizers like Birge and Xiaobing Li have been involved in the Princeton community even before the recent rally. In early March 2020, they led an effort to gather personal protective equipment and funds for local businesses struck by COVID.

“I believe in homebrew, community participation in community affairs. [The fundraising] was what the community needed during COVID time. And during this time, I've witnessed that pain and suffering in my students in particular. So that's the need that I saw,” Birge said.

Ince believes the rally provided proper grieving and important education for PHS students who attended.

“I think everyone coming together is a learning experience in itself. Seeing how so many students from Princeton High School came to stand in solidarity with the movement was very beneficial and I think it's important to see that showing up and being active is impactful because it's important to use your voice and to remember that your actions have a real impact,” Ince said.

The tragedy in Atlanta kickstarted national outrage over anti-Asian sentiments, providing an opportunity for new voices to speak out against racism. Birge recognizes this shift in attitude, believing it to be a step forward.

“We were trained to be quiet….[to not] stick our heads out when there's an issue. You want to be doing what everybody else is doing, you don't want to be standing out. And I think that we tried that [and] it didn't work. It worked really badly against us. So now is the time to stand up and rise up and own that responsibility,” Birge said.

Princeton community  holds vigil honoring Atlanta shooting victims

Steve Cochrane, Superintendent of the Princeton Public Schools, announced his intent to retire on February 24, to be effective on June 30, 2020. Cochrane has served the PPS community as superintendent for six years and has made major changes in the district through his work and vision.
	After graduating from Princeton University, Cochrane started a career in education. He has held countless positions in this field, such as a college administrator, elementary school teacher and principal, and middle school principal. However, he initially hesitated at the superintendency.
“All of that [education-related] work involved direct interaction with children and with teachers and with the joy of learning. [I was] concerned that [becoming superintendent] might take me away from that. So I wasn't seeking a superintendency when the opportunity [arose]. I wanted to be able to give back to the community that had given a great deal to me,” Cochrane said.
As superintendent, Cochrane has always been devoted to equity and student wellness. Two major changes that Cochrane implemented in his time as superintendent — the later start time for PHS and the shift to the bell schedules — were particularly progressive and intended to benefit student health. He has also encouraged racial literacy throughout his career.  
“Even when the state came in to do an audit a few weeks ago—which happens every three years in most districts — they went out of their way to tell us how remarkable it was that we focus on joy. And [that] whole vision and alignment has been driven by Superintendent Cochrane,” said Beth Behrend, President of the Board of Education. “He has led us to celebrate diversity as a strength, sharing a vision for equity and student wellbeing that has transformed and inspired our communities, within the schools and beyond. And he's changed the conversation on what we mean by student achievement in Princeton.” 
	The superintendency and efforts for change were not without their own challenges. However, Cochrane believes that these changes have been for the better. 
“[Because] Princeton has a wonderful reputation, … attempting to change something that's working fairly well isn’t always easy,” said Cochrane. “I think one of the biggest challenges [I’ve faced] has been making the shift from [seeking] perfection to [seeking] student wellness, stress reduction, and racial literacy.”
To make these changes and continue supporting his goals for PPS, Cochrane maintains consistent communication with PHS as well as the Board of Education. The BOE functions as a collective in working with the superintendent and will continue to work in the same manner with Cochrane’s successor.
 	Behrend believes that Cochrane has left behind a legacy of faithful and committed leadership for the district.
“Mr. Cochrane has provided steady and visionary leadership to the district over the past six years. And we are so grateful for his devoted service to our students and to our community,” said Behrend. “Even though change is hard, we should be hopeful and look at this as an opportunity for us to grow even further as a district.”
The Board is currently looking for a short-term superintendent who will help run the district while they seek a permanent replacement with a broader search for candidates and more community input. 
	Although the switch to a new superintendent may be challenging, Principal Jessica Baxter, is optimistic about the future of PPS.
	“Everybody who comes, [comes] with their own vision. So the new [superintendent] might not have the same vision as Cochrane,” said Baxter. “He's [been] someone who really cares about kids and about equitable access for all students and families. And I think even after he leaves, we will continue that work.”

Superintendent Cochrane leaves behind a legacy of student wellness

On January 28, the Board of Education proposed a program review focusing on the Princeton Public Schools Special Education program. The program review will begin this March and conclude in the fall of next year. 
The program offers a wide scope of services to the many students it assists and is specialized according to the students’ Individualized Education Programs or 504 plans. The IEP covers students who qualify for special education, while the 504 covers those who don’t but still need some accommodations.
“[Special education services] could look like a teacher in a classroom, it could look like an assistant, it could look like occupational therapy, physical therapy. It could be a lot of things depending on what the needs of the child are,” said Ginny Bryant, co-president of the Special Education Parent Teacher Organization.
The Special Education Program does not only serve K-12 students but extends from ages three to twenty-one, meaning it encompasses pre-school to beyond high school. It offers both services, which focus on speech and/or motor skills, and supports, which help with student learning. Different plans offer different services and support, because the IEP is particular to each student and provides specialized instruction while the 504 provides modifications and accommodations of the curriculum.
Julie Cho, co-president of the Special Education PTO shared,“[In] our district as well as many [other districts], one out of five students receive some form of special education, services or programming. [There] are many other students who have extra support or something else that leans on the program.”
For different perspectives on its programs, PPS works with other districts to find beneficial solutions. As a part of a network of districts among several states, PPS convenes with representatives from other high-performing districts for program evaluation and feedback.
This review somewhat differs from the cycles of reviewing/evaluating that the other programs go through. It does not cover a strict discipline such as the math or science programs due to the variety of students this program affects and it also grew out of discussions between the special education PTO and administrators and teachers. Although this review is also part of a cycle, PPS is changing its approach by also inviting consultants from an outside firm to assist in the process.
The firm that the Board selected for this review, the Public Consulting Group (PCG) offers its operational improvement services across the nation. Their education department is dedicated to helping districts create more efficient learning programs to give students the resources they need to succeed and assist with technology and financial solutions. PPS has already come into contact with representatives from the firm, many of whom have backgrounds in teaching and experience with special education.
Along with special education experience and expertise in finance, the Board was also looking for a firm that shared a similar ideology for the review.
“We were particularly interested in a group of people who were going to be partnering with us to look at our system as a whole, as opposed to...just the special education segment of what we do because...it's all about the continuum of services that we're providing for all kids. And one of the nice things about this company is that they really had that philosophy,” said Steve Cochrane, superintendent of the PPS district.
	The review will be monitored through quantitative and qualitative reports. Quantitative data would include percentages of students enrolled in higher-level courses and graduation rates while qualitative data accounts for classroom walk-throughs and evaluations.
The review will weigh the thoughts of the representative from the selected review firm, and focus on student input as well. Currently, the review plans to include focus groups with students as well as parents and receive student feedback through surveys and conversations.
“I think the student voice is important. And this whole program is of course to support the student experience and their outcome … so we really look forward to hearing their perspective. … They have sort of the biggest lens to look through [so] we're definitely interested in having students weigh in on their experience,” Cho said.
	Cho felt this review also had an importance beyond just realizing what could be done differently, especially in moving our community forward.
“The whole goal of this is to really celebrate what we do well, and then see how we can come together as all stakeholders to make improvements so that the students' experiences every day, and the effectiveness of the programs are at the highest level that they can be,” said Cho. “In a way, reviewing these kinds of programs … is an effort for constant improvement, but also, it serves our district's mission of equity, of making sure that every student is known and gets what they need.”

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