RESOURCES
for SPF community members

This page is in response to questions and information requests we often receive. It will be updated as needed.

ABOUT REAL PARENTS X SPF

Learn about who we are and what our goals are, sign up for our newsletter, and sign up to join our group HERE.

Join our Facebook group or follow our Facebook Page.

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SPF SCHOOL DISTRICT INFO

District Website

District Administration Team

School District Staff Directory

PTA Council Board Members and Links to All SPF School PTAs

Follow the District on Facebook and Twitter.

Board of Education Website

BOE Meeting Dates

Past BOE Meeting Videos

How to Become a BOE Member

Backpack Flyers: Sign up for your school’s emails

SPFHS
Dr. David L. Heisey, Principal
Mr. Timothy Donahue, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Brooke Esposito, Assistant Principal
Mr. Ryan Miller, Assistant Principal
Website | Twitter
667 Westfield Road Scotch Plains, New Jersey 07076
(908) 889-8600

Park Middle School
Dr. Jocelyn Dumaresq, Principal
Ms. Kristie Morano, Assistant Principal
Website | Twitter
580 Park Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 322 - 4445

Terrill Middle School
Dr. Kevin Holloway, Principal
Mr. Ralph Gerace, Assistant Principal
Website
1301 Terrill Road, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 322-5215

Brunner Elementary School
Scott Bortnick, Principal
Website
721 Westfield Road, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 889-2148

Coles Elementary School
Karen Wetherell, Ed. D., Principal
Website
16 Kevin Road, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 757-7555

Evergreen Elementary School
Colleen Haubert, Principal
Website | Twitter
2280 Evergreen Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 889-5331

McGinn Elementary School
Dr. Sasha Slocum, Principal
Website | Twitter
1100 Roosevelt Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 233-7950

School One Elementary School
Mr. Justin Fiory, Principal
Website | Twitter
563 Willow Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
(908) 322-7731

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JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SPF SCHOOL DISTRICT

We want all our students to see themselves reflected in their teachers, administration and support staff. Let's help make better representation happen by applying for positions currently available in our school district, or sharing these job postings with the incredible, talented, hard-working people we know who would be a perfect fit.

Elementary school
Middle school
High school
Administration
Athletics & activities
Media center & support services

Other positions are available as well. Listings are subject to change, so search the links to view the most up-to-date information.

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LOCAL & VIRTUAL LIBRARY INFORMATION

The SPF community has two libraries we are able to visit in-person, but there's also the option to search and take out books (and more) online, via free library apps. Here's what you need to know to open your family's library experience up even wider.

SCOTCH PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY
1927 Bartle AveScotch Plains, NJ 07076
908 322-5007
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Need a library card for yourself or family member(s)? Get it here.
Want to reserve or renew a book (or other items) from your computer? Do it here.
Don't see the book you want on the shelf? Ask for an interlibrary loan from one of the 41 libraries connected with the SPF libraries in the Middlesex Union Reciprocal Associated Libraries group ("MURAL" for short) here.
Looking for personalized recommendations? Submit the request here.
Know of a book that you think our library should carry? Submit the request here.
Looking for Antiracism Resources? "In support of our mission to welcome and support our entire community with resources and services that enhance lifelong learning, we highlight these resources for learning about racism and systemic inequality." See those resources here.
Interested in bookish events for the whole family? Check the Events calendar for storytimes, activities, author visits, book clubs, and more here.

FANWOOD MEMORIAL LIBRARY
5 Forest Road
Fanwood, NJ07023
(908) 322-6400
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Need a library card for yourself or family member(s)? Get it here.
Want to reserve or renew a book (or other items) from your computer? Do it here.
Don't see the book you want on the shelf? Ask for an interlibrary loan from one of the 41 libraries connected with the SPF libraries in the Middlesex Union Reciprocal Associated Libraries group ("MURAL" for short) here.
Looking for personalized recommendations? Submit the request here.
Know of a book that you think our library should carry? Submit the request here.
Interested in bookish events for the whole family? Check the Events calendar for storytimes, activities, author visits, book clubs, and more here.

LIBBY BY OVERDRIVE ONLINE LIBRARY

If you have a Scotch Plains or Fanwood library card and a device for apps (phone, tablet), you can use the Libby by Overdrive app to access ebooks and audiobooks from the SPF libraries.

Simply download the app and plug in your card info to connect your library with the app. Get the Libby (by Overdrive) app here.

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READING LISTS

REAL Parents x SPF book lists for the whole family!
These lists include two options each for the reading levels of Adult, Teen, Ages 8-12 and Ages 8 and Under.

US History (and Present) Books for Adults:

Because understanding where we are can help guide us to where we need to go (and how to get there), this list is for those of us who want to do some legwork on our own to learn a fuller, more accurate history of the United States, its people, and its laws.

If reading history books isn't your favorite way to pass the time, listening to them on audiobooks as you do other things (drive, walk the dog, do laundry, wash dishes, etc.) may be a better way for you to soak in the information.

Expect this list of non-fiction books to grow and change over time, just like we do.

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HELP PROVIDE MORE DIVERSE BOOKS TO OUR SCHOOLS

Here’s a way you can quickly and easily help us achieve our literary diversity goals for the community's elementary schools.

Shop the Wish List by clicking the image below.

Gifting from this Wish List gets the same diverse collection of books into all of our elementary schools immediately, helping equalize the representation students see in their classrooms and libraries in the 2021-2022 school year.

The SPF School District not only supports this project, they have committed to matching our donation goal by supplying another collection of titles of the same size and scope to all in-district elementary schools right away.

FAQs

To purchase your gift, simply click the Wish List link, add books to your cart, and choose to ship to "REAL Parents x SPF, Gift Registry Address SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ" during checkout.
REAL Parents x SPF will personally distribute all donations to the schools.
Yes, you can share this list publicly with anyone, anywhere who has the interest and means to support this kind of project.
Yes, we have plans to roll out similar initiatives for the middle schools and high school, so watch this space for updates.

Thank you for your generosity!

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FAQs on BIAS AND INCLUSION TRAINING

From the SPF School District Restart Plan, page six (Updated 01/27/21):

“Equity

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District is deeply dedicated to improving anti-racism education in all our schools. We are proud of our diverse community of learners and remain committed to taking intentional action to celebrate that diversity. The process to improve our practices and curriculum is ongoing work. The following initiatives highlight some of our initiatives but do not represent our finished product to ensure that every student feels represented. To that end, the district is committed to:

Hiring a student assistance specialist focused on diversity and inclusion.
Continuing the process to be a certified high school in the Anti-Defamation League's No Place For Hate program.
Supporting professional development opportunities for administration and staff on antiracism education, implicit bias, and systemic bias.
Continued curriculum review to ensure inclusive practices and materials.
Continued outreach with community organizations focused on diversity and inclusion.”

In line with the third bulleted item on the list, the SPF BoE approved a $30,000 budget for Inclusion and Bias Training for administrators and educators as part of their professional development. This training by the Institute for Teaching Diversity and Social Justice (a leader in this sector that has been doing this work since 2007) has been going on throughout this school year, and will continue.

Q: What is Bias and Inclusion Training for the employees of educational institutions?

In short, it is a layer of professional development training for school staff that helps educators and administrators of all backgrounds, identities and experiences more confidently teach the curriculum to students of all backgrounds, identities and experiences in a more fruitful and inclusive, less harmful way.

These "tools of culturally responsive teaching practices and anti-bias resources help educators to revise curricula and learning materials and develop teaching strategies for diverse classrooms." (via IDSJ)

The diversity in the classroom includes -- but is not limited to -- race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nation of origin, physical ability, physical attributes, socioeconomic status and family dynamic.

This is not a class that students take, yet every single child in every classroom benefits from having educators who have received this kind of training. It is about respect, acknowledgement and inclusion of everyone in the room--and beyond.

Q: Why do school administrators and educators need bias and inclusion training?

1. It is natural for everyone to have biases, but some biases can be harmful in an educational setting.

Training educators and administrators to see their own biases can help them make more deliberate, inclusive choices in the classroom that benefits all students.

“Teachers make on-the-spot decisions every day — whom to call on to answer a question, when to ask a student to redo an assignment, what homework to assign. But each of those decisions, as research demonstrates, may be tinged with unconscious bias, particularly around issues of race.”

From Uprooting Systemic Bias in Schools via Harvard School of Education

“If a student doesn’t feel accepted or seen or heard in their classroom spaces, and at a most basic level feel safe, if that’s not being met, then it’s harder for them to actually be ready and be in a place to learn.”

From 5 Things Educators Can Do to Address Bias in Their School via the National Education Association EdJustice

2. Libraries in schools or classrooms that are limited in who is represented in the books they carry (both the characters and the people who wrote/illustrated them) can be harmful to all students.

Training educators and administrators in how to see their own biases when choosing which books to buy and/or include in their curriculum can help them make more deliberate choices for a more inclusive experience that represents the wide variety of students in their classrooms and beyond.

“When you look in a library, it’s going to be mostly white subjects, white authors, it doesn’t even matter what you’re looking for. For young people trying to formulate what they can do in life, I don’t think we realize the message that sends.

We talk about the beauty of imagination and books, right? You can imagine yourself being anything. But that sentiment usually comes from people who always see some sort of representation of themselves in the books. But if [people in books] never look like you, that sends a message too. That actually activates your imagination in a negative way—that you never see a black scientist, you never see an Asian politician. These things limit. The amount of imagination we’re asking of our young people of color is astounding.

But it also affects white students, because it limits what they think their classmates of color can do. This has a real impact on how we see the world, how we support our systems. The young people are the carriers of our systems. They’re going to inherit it all, and we need them to imagine something better, something more inclusive. We nurture that by showing diverse voices, showing diverse histories, and really giving them a new idea.”

From Educators and Race: A Conversation with Author Ijeoma Oluo on Tackling Systemic Racism in U.S. Education via School Library Journal

3. When an educator says they “don’t see color,” that makes it impossible for them to see each student as an individual with their own unique experiences.

By making educators more comfortable with seeing each student for who they are, they are more able to ensure true inclusion and representation in their classrooms, curriculum, and engagement with students.

“When well-meaning people with good intentions say, "I don't see color," an ethnic minority will internalize that as meaning, "You don't see me." Part of the problem with our country’s desire to be “post-racial” and color-blind in terms of seeing the inherent worth of an individual regardless of skin color, is that you can dismiss all the concerns, experiences, and real-world issues of racism that plagues this country from both an individual and larger societal level.”

From "I Don't See Color." Then you don't see me via Psychology Today

4. Textbooks have either not included, swept over, or deliberately altered the history of slavery and racism in the United States, leaving generations of its citizens ignorant of its relevance to American history and where we are today.

Those who make decisions on which textbooks and other materials to purchase and use in curriculums should be made aware of what to look for when doing so in order to get more thorough, factual information in front of students.

“In Webster’s [History of the United States textbook] there was next to nothing about the institution of slavery, despite the fact that it was a central American institution. There were no African Americans ever mentioned. When Webster wrote about Africans, it was extremely derogatory, which was shocking because those comments were in a textbook. What I realized from his book, and from the subsequent ones, was how they defined “American” as white and only as white. Anything that was less than an Anglo Saxon was not a true American... I came across one textbook that declared on its first page, ‘This is the White Man’s History.’”

From How textbooks taught white supremacy: A historian steps back to the 1700s and shares what's changed and what needs to change via The Harvard Gazette

5. Even when teachers want to teach students about the history of racism and slavery, many feel ill-equipped to do so, fearing they will cause harm during the lessons.

Training teachers how to better understand their own implicit biases, see the biases in materials and conversations that come up, and then show them how to teach difficult subjects in an effective way that limits the chance of causing harm to students can increase their confidence to teach hard history in age-appropriate ways.

“The Teaching Tolerance project surveyed nearly 1,800 K-12 social studies teachers. While nearly 90 percent agreed that ‘teaching and learning about slavery is essential to understanding American history,’ many reported feeling uncomfortable teaching slavery and said they get very little help from their textbooks or state standards.”

From Why Schools Fail To Teach Slavery's 'Hard History' via NPR (See the full study by the Southern Poverty Law Center that it discusses here.)

Q: Why is the SPF school district faculty receiving bias and inclusion training?

From the SPF School District Superintendent's Office:
"Dr. Mast, the District Superintendent, was motivated to move this work forward for a range of reasons, including a number of bias cases she encountered such as reports on student discipline, Social Media defamation and threats, and racially charged graffiti. The death of George Floyd also increased the community voice in the need to make both SPF and the country more just. Students and families have come forward requesting that the district engage in additional efforts to build a more inclusive community.

This professional development is a continuation of diversity, inclusion and equity work that the district has been engaged in for the past five years or more.

This training is designed to help educators examine their own practice to ensure that all students and all families feel like they belong to our district community and are able to access all the services that make us an excellent school system.

The objective is to increase the district's collective awareness on matters of both individual bias and institutional bias in order to make SPF a better place for teaching and learning for all.“

Q: What do we know about the organization that is doing the bias and inclusion training for our educators and administration in the district?

The Institute for Teaching Diversity and Social Justice (IDSJ), founded by Dr. Khyati Joshi and Shanelle Henry, has been receiving accolades for its approach and results since 2007. Dr. Joshi has been a highly sought-after expert, educator, writer and speaker in this field for two decades. Learn more about IDSJ and Dr. Joshi here:

About IDSJ
Praise for / Testimonials About IDSJ
IDSJ's Social Justice Education Recommended Reading List and Listening List
About Dr. Joshi | Awards & Recognition | Appearances | CV

Have more questions? We strongly encourage you to go straight to the source for the most accurate information: the SPF School District. Their website will give you access to the school communications, contact information for the District office (such as the Superintendents), curriculum details and more.

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FAQs ABOUT CRITICAL RACE THEORY (CRT)

Q: What is CRT?

In short, Critical Race Theory is a 40-plus-year-old framework of legal academic study in which the reasons how and why systemic racism exists and how to remove it from the various systems are looked at in great depth.

Learn more here.

“In this post, we explain what Critical Race Theory is while sharing the thoughts from teachers on teaching about racism to their students…[Please] read the sources as homework.” Sources:

Just what is critical race theory and what's it doing in a nice field like education? (1998) | International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education article by Gloria Ladson-Billings
Why are states banning critical race theory? (2021) | The Brookings Institution article by Rashawn Ray and Alexandra Gibbons
What Do Teachers Think About Discussing Racism in Class? We Asked Them (2021) | Education Week article by Ileana Najarro
What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack? (2021) | Education Week article by Stephen Sawchuk
Racial/Ethnic Enrollment in Public Schools (Updated 2021) | Annual Report on National Center for Education Statistics

Further reading:

Being Antiracist | Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
What Anti-racism Really Means for Educators (2020) | Learning for Justice article by Jamilah Pitts
Becoming an Anti-Racist Educator | Wheaton College Center for Collaborative Teaching and Learning (2021) | Principal Kafele Writes

Critical Race Theory, Sleight of Hand, & Smoke and Mirrors
Antiracism Resources via the Scotch Plains Public Library

Q: I’d like to study CRT on my own. Which books should I read?

Some well-regarded CRT titles include:

Critical Race Theory: An Introduction by Richard Delgado, Jean Stefancic
Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed the Movement by Kimberlé Crenshaw, Neil Gotanda, Garry Peller, Kendall Thomas, Cornel West, et al
Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism by Derrick A. Bell
Critical Race Feminism: A Reader by Adrien Katherine Wing, et al
Crossroads, Directions, and a New Critical Race Theory by Francisco Valdes, Jerome McCristal Culp, Angela P. Harris, et al

Have more questions about how this applies (or doesn't apply) to the SPF school district? We strongly encourage you to go straight to the source for the most accurate information: the SPF School District. Their website will give you access to the school communications, contact information for the District office (such as the Superintendents), curriculum details and more.

Go to Table of Contents.

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CALENDAR

Events are subject to change. Please check the website of the hosting parties to confirm in advance.

AUGUST 2021
3 - National Night Out | 7PM - Dusk at LaGrande Park in Fanwood

SEPTEMBER 2021

1 - SPF BOE Regular Public Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Administration Building, 512 Cedar Street, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
9 - SPF Schools open.
19 - Last day to sign up for the Strategic Planning Committee.
20 - Fanny Wood Day, 10Am - 5PM. | Stop by our booth during your visit! (Social Justice Matters will also be there.)
28 - 7-9PM Strategic Planning Committee Meeting at Evergreen MPR (location subject to change).
29 - SPF BOE Regular Public Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

OCTOBER 2021

6 - SPF District invites parents in the community to a session at the SPFHS from 7-9PM to gain a better understanding and ask questions about the district’s commitment to ensure all children thrive and learn to lead and manage in a diverse community and nation, via the teaching of identity, diversity, empathy, and social justice with IDSJ's co-founder Dr. Khyati Joshi. 7-9PM at the SPFHS auditorium.
14 - SPF BOE Open Agenda Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.
19 - 7-9PM Strategic Planning Committee Meeting at Evergreen MPR (location subject to change).
23 - Early Voting for the General Election begins in Union County, NJ. See dates, times and location to vote early AND locations of ballot drop-off boxes here.
28 - SPF BOE Regular Public Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

NOVEMBER 2021

2 - Election Day | General election includes open SPF Board of Education seats. | Union County voting information.
11 - SPF BOE Open Agenda Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.
16 - 7-9PM Strategic Planning Committee Meeting at Evergreen MPR (location subject to change).
18 - SPF BOE Regular Public Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

DECEMBER 2021

16 - SPF BOE Regular Public Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

JANUARY 2022

6 - SPF BOE Special Meeting | 2022 Annual Organization Meeting | 7:30PM | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

20 - SPF BOE Regular Public Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

FEBRUARY 2022

10 - SPF BOE Open Agenda Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

24 - SPF BOE Regular Public Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

MARCH 2022

10 - SPF BOE Open Agenda Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

24 - SPF BOE Regular Public Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

APRIL 2022

28 - SPF BOE Regular Public Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

MAY 2022

10 - SPF BOE Open Agenda Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

19 - SPF BOE Regular Public Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

25 - SPF BOE Special Meeting | Staff Recognition | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

JUNE 2022

2 - SPF BOE Open Agenda Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

7 - SPF BOE Special Meeting | Student Recognition | 7:30 PM | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

23 - SPF BOE Regular Public Meeting | 7:30 Call to Order, 8:00 PM Public Participation | Check District announcements and website for updates on time, agenda and/or location.

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More to come...

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