RFH Board of Education Tackles Bullying and Sports Guidelines

The members of the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Board of Education met for their bi-monthly meeting on Wednesday to discuss topics concerning parents, faculty and children.

One of the first major issues brought to the table was preventing bullying in the district's schools. Superintendent Dr. Peter Righi explained they have assigned a Bullying Coordinator and Bullying Specialist to be the eyes and ears of the hallways and to report to members any activity that would be considered harmful.

Righi went onto explain together with a team made up of teachers, parents and bully specialists they would go over each scenario as if it were a puzzle yet to be solved.

"The team members will meet to see if what we are doing is proactive," said Righi "Does it go far enough for the victim?"

Another major topic that was discussed at the meeting was the new Concussion Prevention Program requiring all coaches and student athletes to be online certified, creating a medical understanding of blunt force trauma before players go back onto the field.  

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concussions account for almost one in 10 sports injuries. A 2009 study from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide's Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio also revealed, that as many as 40.5 percent of high-school athletes return to action before they are fully healed, thus increasing the risk of additional concussions.

All students and coaches playing in the fall semester have to have completed the online test about concussions by September 1st.

There were a few concerns about this new program. One was that the new rules ordered anyone who uses the facility at the high school to be certified as well. Board member Michael Goione raised a good question about anyone setting their feet onto the grass. "What about Pop Warner?" said Goine. "Other people and organizations use the field all the time, are they required to complete a course?"

Superintendent Righi explained those matters would have to be discussed at a later time and he would read over the fine lines. 

Other topics discussed were the decreased number of students attending magnet schools and programs used to assess teacher evaluations. 

A magnet school is any public school that specializes in specific courses or curricula. Schools like Red Bank Regional, which offers dance programs, and The School of Communications in Wall, allow children from other districts to attend. 

"Speaking as a parent of a ninth-grader I know a lot of the kids were discouraged from going to a magnet school because of report card changes," said board member and parent Sarah Moris. 

A hot-button topic, often discussed on a national level, was brought down locally when talking about teacher evaluations for the district. A unanimous decision was made in a prior meeting to incorporate the "Danielson Model," which uses self-evaluation as a method to improve teachers practices. 

According to the website for the Danielson Model, "when teachers engage in self-assessment, reflection on practice, and professional conversation, they become more thoughtful and analytic about their work, and are in a position to improve their teaching. By shifting the focus of evaluation from ‘inspection’ to ‘collaborative reflection’ educators can ensure the maximum benefit from the evaluation activities."

Upcoming Board of Education Meeting dates can be found at http://www.rfhrhs.org.