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Parents question 7 Mindsets program and new elementary schedule, seek return of specials time
Summary
Multiple parents at the Oct. 14 meeting criticized the district's rollout of schedule and curriculum changes that allocate daily time to 'morning meetings' tied to the 7 Mindsets program, and raised cost and instructional concerns. The superintendent said the district consulted the state DOE and will respond to a formal complaint.
Several parents told the Wall Township Board of Education on Oct. 14 they oppose recent elementary-schedule changes the district says create 15 minutes per day (75 minutes per week) for morning meetings tied to social-emotional programming, and they asked the board to restore time previously used for specials such as gym and library.
Angelique Pinto told the board the administration implemented changes “piecemeal since the spring” and argued that “the time is now” for the board to reverse the changes: “Please do the right thing right now and give the kids back their activities and their time.” Pinto also questioned the district’s relationship with the 7 Mindsets program and asked for transparency about costs and curricular justification.
Other parents raised similar concerns about lost gym, library and technology time and described portions of the 7 Mindsets rollout they object to. Colleen McCormick told the board she reviewed purchase orders and said “it appears as though this program alone has cost at least a $143,000.” McCormick also said roughly $6,000 was spent to send six staff members to an Orlando conference and urged the district to restore time to health and PE.
The superintendent, Dr. Hanahan, told the board she had contacted the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) during the development of the revised elementary schedule to “ensure our proper use of teaching credentials.” She also reported the NJDOE's Office of Controversies and Disputes had notified the district that one parent complaint was withdrawn and that another complaint had been filed; the district said it will respond to that new complaint and noted that the process restarts when a new complaint is filed.
The board did not vote on curriculum policy or the 7 Mindsets contract at the meeting. Public speakers asked the board to clarify how the program is funded (commenters said much was paid with grant money that expires in 2026) and to explain whether the program supplants state-required health and physical-education instruction.
Provenance: Public comments about schedule changes and 7 Mindsets are from multiple public-comment blocks (Angelique Pinto, Colleen McCormick) in the transcript starting in the ~5939–6769 second ranges; superintendent and district responses are in her superintendent’s report later in the meeting.
