Summer 2003 Edition  

Dr. Khoury Fair Lawn News recently spoke with Charles Khoury, the  person who has shaped the curriculum of Fair Lawn's schools for the past two years.  He's the Assistant Superintendent for Education at the Board of Education.  Dr. Khoury is leaving Fair Lawn to take a position as Superintendent in Cresskill.  How do Fair Lawn schools compare to other towns? Fair Lawn is a wonderful town with a wonderful school system. Prior to coming to Fair Lawn I worked for 20 years in Ridgewood, 4 years in Kinnelon and 4 years in Paramus, all excellent systems by any measure. Fair Lawn is clearly one of the best and compares favorably in terms of programs, student focus, personnel and community support. Are there special assets that Fair Lawn has? Fair Lawn is the most diverse community of the four that I’ve worked in. I view that diversity as an asset. Administratively and in each school and classroom we have to be aware of and sensitive to the issues and needs that our diverse population brings. In responding to our student needs we have developed better and more comprehensive programs. Our students will emerge with a greater sensitivity and understanding of the richness of experience that diversity brings. Are there special challenges that Fair Lawn has? Fair Lawn, like every suburban school district, is faced with the challenge of doing more with less. The federal and state governments continue to require more and more from local districts and either shrink or freeze funding levels. This is a major challenge. The exercise that we undertook in the preparation of the 2003-2004 budget could serve as a model for others to follow. Every expenditure category was scrutinized in detail. Every efficiency in operations was taken and the classroom experience for each child was protected and in many ways enhanced. How important was it that the last budget was passed? The passage of the 2003-2004 budget was critical on several levels. In many ways it was, after the narrow defeat of both the 2002-2003 budget and the referendum, a vote of confidence in the school system. The vote was both an approval and a vote of confidence in the direction of the district. It was a morale boost for all who work in the school system. The vote also will allow us to move forward with several educational initiatives that were planned for 2003-2004 school year. These initiatives will make a difference in every classroom in the years ahead. If the voters pass a referendum to expand the high school, will that have an impact on the quality of education? The answer is an unqualified yes. The referendum was and is designed to address significant space deficiencies at several sites. Our buildings are crowded and the secondary population will continue to grow from its present size of 1500 to 1700 in the next few years. At present virtually every room is fully used every period. Without additional space and with the growing enrollment class size will grow to uncomfortable levels resulting in less direct student-teacher contact and a more impersonal environment. When these conditions are allowed to exist, less contact and a more impersonal environment, educational quality as measured by student performance on outcome measures, decreases. If the referendum passes, an effective class size ratio can be maintained and new programs can be implemented that will allow our students to be more competitive in the world that they will enter after leaving high school. What changes would you like to have implemented in Fair Lawn that you couldn’t? Had the referendum passed I would have liked to have been involved with the implementation of the new programs at Fair Lawn High School. The curricular design model that was to be implemented is a model that I developed several years ago. Over the years the model has been refined by several prominent educators including Liz Panella, principal of Fair Lawn High School. We both deeply believe in the efficacy of the model, and the organization and delivery systems would result in a better high school program for every student. What are you most proud of during your tenure at Fair Lawn? As I said, Fair Lawn is a wonderful town with a wonderful school system. The administrative team at the Central Office and in the schools, with the assistance of the Board of Education have accomplished much during the past two years. Among the most notable accomplishments are: - The successful transition to an entirely new Central Office team. Three key positions were filled by one veteran Fair Lawn educator (Bruce Watson) and two newcomers (Ray Jacobus and myself). I would say that this team is among the very best in the county and state. - The introduction of a direction in middle school mathematics with the addition of an accelerated program and a restructured core program. - The introduction of a grades 3-10 core standardized testing program, to measure student progress and to assist in assessing programs. - The introduction of a new elementary school math program in 2003-2004. - The emphasis and support of a primary grade literacy focus and the upper elementary school guided reading emphasis (2003-2004) - The initiative to add an enriched English program in grades 7-8 in 2003-2004 through the use of the Junior Great Books program. - The realignment of the technology infrastructure to make the use of technology a more reliable tool for both teachers and students. - The introduction of the Fair Lawn Teacher’s Academy for professional development. - The introduction of a focused approach to professional development and the significant expansion of the after-school professional development efforts. - The complete reexamination of all programs and practices in preparing the 2003-2004 budget that resulted in a very efficient and effective model for service delivery in 2003-2004. Why did you decide to leave? In my thirty year career as an educator I have grown to want to lead a fine school district as a superintendent. Cresskill was the only district that I applied to and, other than size, Cresskill is similar to Fair Lawn in many ways. I truly consider myself blessed to have spent the past two years in Fair Lawn because I can say that I have learned something every day. Today, I am much better prepared to lead a school district in the challenging times facing us all than I was when I arrived. I also believe that I have made a positive difference for teachers, parents and students. I will always consider myself part of the Fair Lawn school community.   And, this is who is taking Dr. Khoury's place as Assistant Superintendent.   Fair Lawn High School Vice Principal, Judy Moran.