Mount Hebron students were shocked to learn today that one of their favorite teachers, Stephanie Ferrara, had resigned. A Mount Hebron mom writes in…
There was no notice of this whatsoever. She gave homework on Friday and the kids showed up today to be told that she had "resigned" and that they must not ask her what happened (except that they were told that "she’s fine.").
When the mom called Mt. Hebron to ask what happened, she was told she could find out more by attending a meeting tomorrow at 8 a.m. at Mt. Hebron. Apparently, the only folks finding about the meeting are those who call the school asking after the teacher. Consider this a heads up for parents who may not have heard about the meeting. We hear kids were crying over the news; Ferrara started the Pizza and Poetry Club, a monthly get-together for students to share their own poems or favorite poems over their lunch hour.
Got something else to share; feel free to chat here, now…
I like pizza and poetry…but seriously, i know how it sux when a favorite teacher leaves…you feel like they are letting you down…i hope she’s ok.
I hope someone else keeps up with the pizza parties and poetry.
Stephanie Ferrara was the most inspirational teacher my son has ever had. Not only was he excited about going to her class, he has told me that she was the main reason he likes Mt. Hebron. Her creative writing assignments, her sensitivity to young writers and poets, well all I can say, it’s going to be very difficult to fill her shoes.
Ms. Ferrara also offered a terrific class in Mt. Hebron’s “After School Program” called “Growing Up Female,” a girls-only club designed to help young female students support one another and overcome the drama of middle school. The class description said, “After all, noone said you are supposed to survive middle school alone.” Mt Hebron will be a lot harder to survive without the guidance and inspiration of this wonderful teacher!
Greetings folks – I’m a long time lurker, first time poster, with plenty of opinions like everyone else, but I actually know something about this subject. Stephanie Ferrara, in just her second year as a teacher is dynamic, creative, and young enough to be a real friend and confidant to her middle school students. For my daughter she’s a real lifeline, probably for many other kids too. She’s one of those teachers you get once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky. I speak of her in the present tense because I won’t accept her permanent departure until I learn what this is all about. Tomorrow morning’s meeting (which was announced by the school by phone message) may shed some light. If it doesn’t, Dr. Jennings is going to find himself in the midst of a hornet’s nest. Did she resign, or was she pushed? Is it some sort of legal matter? This is too important to our kids to let go of without a full explanation and an earnest search for alternatives, ie. a leave of absence, or suspension pending review.
Even though I’ve never heard of her, I still kind of want to know what happened. I guess it’s just me sticking my nose where it doesn’t really belong, but that’s just weird that she just “resigned” all of a sudden without any notice. I hope she’s ok.
Is it true that Dr. Jennings’ daughter has taken over the class?
Yes, the note that came home said that Ms. Thayer Jennings will replace Ms. Ferrara effective Jan. 30. Ms. Jennings is a recent Montclair State U. grad w/ a degree in English Education. She finished her student teaching at Renaissance Middle School last year. She’s a certified Language Arts teacher and has worked as a sub the last two years.
Yep, it’s true. The kids have seen her as a substitute, and the reviews aren’t good. According to my daughter, Miss Jennings is cold, uninspiring, and “straight as a line.”
I went to Mt Hebron in the 80′s, and my bus driver was arrested for d&d,they found a bottle of mad dog on him.
no lie
Montclair Public Schools royally suck! There is so much incompetence and nepotism there!
i think the schools here are great. i’m impressed with the quality of the teachers. my children are at the high school now and it is evident that their teachers care passionately and want them to succeed.
While faculty departures during the academic year are unusual, they are not necessarily an indicator of wrong-doing. For example, a spouse’s job may be transferred out-of-town requiring the family to relocate. Let the facts be heard before making final judgement.
“Let the facts be heard before making final judgement.”
New to Baristaville?
I know this comment could also get an ROC comment of “New to Baristaville?” but I’ll say it anyway. Could you and your kids pelase give Ms.Jennings a chance? She IS a new teacher, and she obviously has big shoes to fill. But she got excellent training at Renaissance working with one of the most dynamic, well-liked and inspiring Language Arts teachers I’ve ever encountered (Ms. Durber). Maybe she learned something. So give Ms. Jennings a chance. It isn’t her fault that Ms. Ferrara left.
We are also affected by this devastating news..my son had finally developed a love for creative writing that did not exist before…this makes it his 4th teacher at Mt.Hebron, (that he truly liked and learned from,) that has been yanked out of his life yet again.
I’m curious why all the fans of Ms. Ferrara are posting here instead of attending the meeting and getting info from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
Will anyone who attended said meeting be posting?
It’s nice to hear of kids actually wrenched by losing a teacher. Never quite occurred in my nun-ridden boyhood.
It’s inappropriate for Jennings to bring his daughter in to the school. I don’t care how good a teacher she is. It’s hard enough getting teachers to be accountable without having Daddy as the boss. Let her teach at another Montclair middle school, not Mt. Hebron.
Did anybody go to the meeting this morning? What’s up with Ferrara?
i agree about ms. jennings. i have never met her and my children don’t attend this school. but to say negative or discouraging things about her in an online forum strikes me as unkind–she cannot defend herself and it creates an atmosphere of mistrust for this young teacher. i would be distraught if someone did that to someone i cared about. let’s give all the teachers a fair chance — it also suggests that there is something somehow “suspect” in the replacement teacher’s appearance. for all we know, there may have been some sudden personal urgency which required ms. ferrara’s absence and the new teacher may have come in this quickly as a favor, to help out, with the best interests of the school at heart. please, let’s be supportive and receptive where our teachers are concerned. and yes–my mother was and is still a teacher. i see her devotion and i hear about the devotion of her colleagues, even those who aren’t the most popular with the students. they still care and they still want the best for their students.
Stephanie Ferrara sounds awfully familiar. Was she a Baristaville HS grad?
Pizza and poetry! Bwahahahahahahah!
First, parents were notified of the meeting by phone Friday afternoon and by a letter given to Ms. Ferrar’s students. Dr. Jennings, the principal, said he could not divulge her reasons for leaving but said she was not asked to leave by him or the administration. Parents expressed their concerns for the students, Ms. Ferrar and Ms. Jennings. Stephanie Ferrara was an energetic and enthusiastic teacher with high standards that showed in all she did. Just to interject a bit of humor into an otherwise very somber time…one student suggested that Ms. Ferrara had to go into Witness Protection.
(starting the conspiracy countdown clock…)
“beep : beep 0:00″
My wife attended the meeting and reports little-to-no satisfaction in terms of details about Ms. Ferrara’s sudden departure.
As far as Dr. Jenkins’ daughter filling the spot, it was announced that making her position permanent or not will be a school board decision, not Dr. Jennings’ call — I guess that’s something.
“…one student suggested that Ms. Ferrara had to go into Witness Protection.”
I’m shocked to find humor–humor!–in such a grave and important thread.
I heard a story on 101.5 this morning that a mother in Monmouth County complained to her kid’s school when they were watching movies once a week in Algebra class. Apparently the school’s response was that its more important for the teacher to have control of the class than to push one subject. I find this outrageous.
As I am not a parent, I implore all of you who are to find out what’s going on in those classrooms. I have many high school classmates of mine who are now local teachers, but I do not know about their teaching style. I can only hope for more teachers like Ms. Ferrara when I do have children.
Its a shame, but its also a well known fact amongst new teachers that knowing someone in the school district is sometimes the only way to get the job. I suppose daddy doesn’t hurt.
“Click”
Lap time: 0:5:22 (nearly there)
“Click”
Knowing someone is the best way to get just about any job, Nicki. And yes, I have often been shocked to find out what some teachers do in some of these classes. How many battles can parents fight, though? If one parent complains about a teacher, the teacher is going to take it out on the child. So you have to organize other parents, and go to the principle together. How many times a year can you do this? It’s not an easy thing to negotiate. What I wish is that teachers had the same deal most of the rest of us have: if you’re not performing, you’re fired. If that were the school system’s MO, most of the teachers my kids have would be fine, but we would be able to force out the obvious dogs–the ones that should not be in the classroom. Of course, you’d still have all sorts of other barriers–racial, gender, age, etc–but it would be a start.
ROC, what are you on about?
Walleroo, I agree with you. I think the teachers’ union has a lot to do with the problem. I am aware that most people get their jobs from contacts. However, a teaching job should not be so heavily reliant on such. I only know of this because about 12 of my high school friends are now teachers in all of our surrounding suburbs. Some had an easier time getting a position while others paid their dues by teaching in Newark for a few years, which ended up paying off as she is now in Millburn.
If anyone saw the 20/20 special two Friday nights ago you’d agree with the problem of the teachers’ union. I understand that the parents can’t do everything and this Monmouth County mother’s complaints seemed to have gone unanswered. But, something needs to be done. I won’t have to worry about my own children for quite sometime, but it does scare me that we are sending out graduates who can’t do basic math or worse case, read.
I will give Cedar Grove HS credit as I graduated in 1997 and thought my teachers were excellent. I also think the teachers tend to be better in the AP and honors classes. That’s a whole different thread though. Sorry for my rants, but after 19 years of education I am shocked to learn of how the system works.
Ms. Ferrara’s excellence, creativity, and commitment to her students can not be overstated. My son was blessed to be her student. He and his family are anguished by her loss to Mt. Hebron. The information available at the meeting this morning could not mitigate this blow. The reasons behind her sudden resignation are clearly personal, private and obviously serious. We wish her every best wish, she has our deep gratitude & she is in our prayers. Pity the substitute….
My wife and I attended this morning’s meeting. What a frustrating experience! Dr. Jennings would not divulge anything about Ferrara’s reason for leaving on zero notice. He said it was initiated by a phone call from her on Saturday, that it came out of the blue. Whatever it was, it was so sudden and so serious that immediate resignation was the only option, that any other teacher would have had to do the same. He said it wasn’t medical, had nothing to do with credentials, had nothing to do with her performance as a teacher. He didn’t confirm or deny that it was a legal problem. But this just deepens the mystery. Legal proceedings take time, personal problems are usually handled with a leave of absence. This woman stressed candor and commitment to her students, and this sudden abandonment, without explanation, will seen by the kids as a huge betrayal.
To his credit, Jennings did address the awkward appearance of nepotism. He said that Miss Jennings was the only available Language Arts teacher who could step in on 24 hour notice. She is a colleague of Ferrara’s, and they were students at MSU together. She is in touch with Ferrara to ensure continuity of the lesson plans, Dr. Jennings said. The Board of Ed will have the final say as to whether she will finish out the school year. Normally that would be the principal’s prerogative, but because of the possible conflict of interest, the call will be made “downtown.”
Secrets have a way of coming out, and I’m sure we’ll soon learn why this has happened. It doesn’t lessen the tragedy for the kids, but it’s almost always better to know the truth than to left wondering.
“…but it’s almost always better to know the truth than to left wondering”
Not if it is not any of your business.
I was sent a link to this webpage and felt it appropriate to reply in regards to my resignation. In my entire life, I have never felt more loved and appreciated than I have felt over the past two years in the Montclair School District. My principal, my coworkers, the parents, and the children have opened their hearts to me in ways that I never thought possible of the human species. Some people wrote that I changed their child’s life, but it cannot compare to way they’ve changed mine. When I felt sad, they would cheer me up. When I made mistakes, they would forgive me. When I got angry, they would either laugh at me or actually encouraged each other show respect. They gave and gave and gave in ways that most of the adults I know are not capable of (not including the Montclair parents because you all have done the same.) I have so many wonderful memories of each child, that it feels like I am losing 105 family members at the same time. However, and I have said this to many people, life doesn’t always allow you to keep the personal separate from the private. Thank you to all of the people who have shown me support and respected my privacy; please know I would do the same for you. As for Ms. Jennings, I am in constant contact with her and have spent extensive time making sure she has everything she needs to continue right where I left off. She is an amazing woman and, although I understand the speculation because of her relationship with Dr. J, I hope that you can find it in your hearts to give her pedagogy a chance. She has gone through the same educational school that I attended and connected to children in Ren. School in much the same way that I have connected with my students. As for getting a job because of who you know, the same applied for me. I did my student teaching in Mt. Hebron with the best teacher in the school and she practically got me hired. On a final note, I am not in the Witness Protection Program and am available through email. If your child is upset or angry or anything, please have him/her keep in contact with me. If they feel abandoned, disappointed, angry, or hurt, I want to help in any way that I can. Although teachers are theoretically (sp) supposed to keep an emotional distance from their children, I have never been able to do that. I have loved the children since I met them and will continue to love them even as they move on and forget about me. I hope to return one day to Montclair, but no one know what the future will hold. Thank all of you who have sent me prayers and regards; you have made this time in my life a little bit easier to handle, and I don’t think you even owe me that because it is I that have let you down.
A lot of class has Ms. Ferrara. I don’t know her but I can tell.
Good luck, be well.
Ms. Ferrara,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your letter — it will help my son a great deal to read your caring message.
I will take your counsel and encourage my son to rally support for Ms. Jennings.
Life does have a way of getting in the way of great plans. I hope that whatever it is that has caused this sudden change will in the end prove to have been a mere eddy in your stream. You have my family’s prayers and best wishes.
Ms. Ferrara has shown extreme grace above. And offered nothing but kind words for her overseers and her successors. That really should end it.
After reading this thread and Ms Ferrara’s post, I recognize that she is a TEACHER and a fine, thoughtful human being. I was lucky enough to have a teacher like that who died while I was in the fifth grade and, although 50 years have passed, I remember how much she meant to me.
It’s an intriguing mystery. Perhaps she has signed on for one those reality television programs that require you to swear to secrecy about what you are doing?
ms. jennings is very young…give her a chance. of course she will not be as good as mis. ferrara was but shes under alot of pressure to all of a sudden take this job.
ms. jennings is very young…give her a chance. of course she will not be as good as mis. ferrara was but shes under alot of pressure to all of a sudden take this job.
Hello. Both my Parents come on here alot so i geuss its like herediatry or something, cuz now im interested. anyways, Miss ferrara was my language arts teach for the 6th grade and until now for the seventh. She is the most inspiring understanding most halarious teacher ive ever had. And she is also a good friend. I think what hurts the most is that i didn’t even get to see her to say goodbye. So its ntural too feel abandond by her and almost hateful twards anyone who trys to replace her. Im glad to see her commenting on here and stuff an i will be happy to e-mail her and stuff but it will never be the same. never.
Regarding the hiring of the superintendent’s daughter to fill in as a substitute for the last-minute opening:
One of the posters stated: “Dr. Jennings said. The Board of Ed will have the final say as to whether she will finish out the school year. Normally that would be the principal’s prerogative, but because of the possible conflict of interest, the call will be made “downtown.” ”
I would just like to clarify something. It would ALWAYS be the board of education’s decision. The superintendent (hopefully in consultation with the appropriate principal) must recommend for hire all individuals, which are then approved or not approved by the board of education. The board must approve transfers, hires, resignations, retirements, etc. It is NEVER the sole decision of a principal or superintendent.
Additionally, I think it is inappropriate for any superintendent’s child or spouse to work in district, Montclair or elsewhere. That is a conflict waiting to happen.
Another terrific post from a product of the Montclair public school system.
Perhaps English is Another Mount Hebbie’s second language.
Let’s please cut the 7th grader a little slack, susie b. Lord knows there are plenty of illiterate adults to pick on.
You’re right. I hope I didn’t damage the precious child.
I’m sure you didn’t, but I’ll bet it felt good to puff out your chest.
susie b… PLEASE. I assume that you are also in the 7th grade, which makes it completely appropriate for you to pick on your classmate, Another Mount Hebbie. And if you are indeed in the 7th grade, you probably should understand that this version of “Internet speak” that almost anyone under the age of 25 uses (borne of IM’ing) uses words like “cuz” and “ur” and does not require spell checking, grammar review, or concern about whether bored adults have nothing better to do than snark about the school system and its “products”. Have a nice day!
I also have to say its amazing how quickly everyone attacked on this thread. Especially those that railed against the pricipal for not “giving them more facts about her departure.”
Interesting to note that aside from his not KNOWING them, he was fulfilling his moral and LEGAL obligations that make a personnel issue like this one none of your damn business! Parents have reason to worry of course, but this is obviously a personal decision and at that point no one has any say in the matter aside from the teacher and her family.
I have to disagree with you, drob – this turn of events has had such a traumatic effect on the the students and their parents that it’s just too callous to say it’s none of our business. The two factors that hurt the most were the suddenness of the departure, and the complete lack of an explanation. There’s a greiving process going on, similar to (but of course not as heavy as) a death in the family. The grieving parties, our children, need to understand what happened and why. A few day’s preparation or even a cover story would have helped a lot. I can appreciate that Dr. Jennings was caught in the middle, but the children’s feelings must not be pushed aside.
Troubadour,
I am never amazed (anymore) at the sense of entitlement people in this town maintain in nearly all cases. Obviously the teacher is aware of the children’s feelings and needs and she has not offered the information you feel entitled to know. That should end it. If you all prize her as much as you say you do, then you’d understand that *she* has weighed the need for her privacy and made her choice. Teach your children to respect such private choices by offering an example of the same.
Can’t … believe … I’m … agreeing … w/ROC …
Well said, “Right of Center”. Her reasons for resigning are nobody’s business but her own. I don’t know the young lady, but it seems she’s has a lot to deal with and wish her well.
In order to insure that their children continue with as little disruption as possible in this unfortunate time, Dr. Jennings has allowed his daughter to be subjected to nastiness and overt meanness of students and some parents. Instead of making accusations of nepotism, parents should be singing Dr. Jenning’s praises that he would care so much about their children. Ms. Jennings is a committed, kind, understanding and QUALIFIED teacher who loves teaching language arts–something impossible to find in one day’s notice.
The commitment that both Dr. and Ms. Jennings have shown the residents of Montclair should be applauded. Instead they have been treated in a most ungrateful manner by some adults — adults who would never allow their own children to be placed in a similar situation for the sake of others. Ms. Jennings can get a teaching job in ANY New Jersey district in a heart beat. We would be lucky to have a teacher of her caliber in Montclair, regardless of who her father is.
I can understand this type of behavior from the students; they are children who haven’t learned that life offers unfortunate twists. While some people don’t understand, I know that Dr. Jennings has made a sacrifice in order to make this difficult time less painful for our students.
Ms. Ferrara will be missed. She also gave of herself to the Mount Hebron community, and she has earned the right to privacy in an already difficult time.
Aw. I don’t know this young woman, and I don’t even live in Montclair. But I can tell you that the superintendent’s child working in district is a conflict.
*clears throat* Just decided to defend myself. I can speak proper english just fine, and very well as a matter of fact. Just because I am used to typing with internet slang does not mean that english is my second language, or that I did not learn to use proper english. Thank you to those who defended me.
*clears throat* Just decided to defend myself. I can speak proper english just fine, and very well as a matter of fact. Just because I am used to typing with internet slang does not mean that english is my second language, or that I did not learn to use proper english. Thank you to those who defended me.
Sory for posting wice. that was my bad
I’m told by my son that Dr. Jennings’ daughter will not be the full time language arts replacement.