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Watchung superintendent outlines 2026–27 district goals, cites curriculum updates and Chromebook rollout
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Glazer presented district goals tied to the strategic plan — academic growth, professional learning, community engagement and school culture — and outlined curriculum updates (new ELA/math materials, a science pilot) and a one-to-one Chromebook initiative. Board members asked for SMART metrics and stronger implementation monitoring.
Dr. Glazer, the district superintendent, presented the Watchung Borough School District's proposed district goals for 2026–27 at the board retreat on June 25, saying the goals sit under the district strategic plan’s four umbrella priorities: student learning, professional learning, communications and school culture.
"By June of 2028, student proficiency and growth — ELA, math and science — increasing by 10%," Dr. Glazer told the board, describing the numeric target the leadership team proposed and the curriculum steps taken this year to support it.
The presentation detailed near-term and continuing work: adopting and implementing new ELA and math textbooks and resources, adopting a new science program with curriculum writing and a 6–8 pilot, and postponing a planned world languages rollout because the implementation team was unavailable this summer. Dr. Glazer also described an expanded technology committee and a plan to implement one-to-one Chromebooks across the two schools and to begin work on a district AI policy.
Nut graf: The leadership team framed the 2026–27 goals as an evolution of existing work — not a wholesale shift — with a focus on making interventions and protocols consistent and ensuring that newly developed systems are actively monitored and personalized for individual students.
Board members asked how the broad goals would be translated into measurable SMART objectives and action plans. Rich (board member) and others pressed for clearer accountability steps; Dr. Glazer said the leadership team will draft the SMART goals and action items after collecting tonight’s feedback and that the board would review and vote on final wording at a subsequent meeting.
The superintendent also described intervention processes (Intervention and Referral Services, IRNS) and special-services integration. She said IRNS is a multi-tiered, team-based referral system with a six-week follow-up protocol and emphasized the district’s work to align general and special education supports. She noted new staffing for learning support in K–4, a pursuit-of-excellence summer program, and articulation efforts for fifth-grade schedule redesign to create a smoother transition to middle-school structures.
Board members repeatedly urged that documented protocols not remain static, saying systems must be operational and monitored. "We need to take this to the next step…now we need to really be making sure that those systems are reliable, effective," one board member said during the discussion.
The meeting closed the district-goals segment with agreement that administration will draft SMART metrics and action plans over the summer and return with votable items in August.
