Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Superintendent reports student‑safety incident counts and says district is exploring outside professional‑development programs
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Kravitz reported district incident counts and said he has consulted the ADL, the Israeli American Coalition and the Jewish Federation about professional‑development programs the district may use to support staff and students.
Superintendent Dr. Kravitz told the Fort Lee Board of Education on Jan. 11 that the district is reporting student‑safety incident data to the state and is exploring outside professional‑development programs to address school climate and cultural competency.
Dr. Kravitz gave the board a breakdown of incidents by school, saying Fort Lee High School had 30 incidents this year, School 1 had 1, School 2 had 3, School 4 had 1, and the middle school had 55. He said the district reports these numbers to the New Jersey Department of Education and that staff will provide longitudinal context when available.
Dr. Kravitz said he has met recently with three outside organizations — the Anti‑Defamation League (ADL), the Israeli American Coalition and the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey — which have presented professional‑development programs the district could incorporate into classrooms and staff training. "They've presented some of the programs that we can start to incorporate into some of our classrooms," he said, adding staff would review which programs best fit grade levels.
During public comment, a speaker asked for clarification about policies described in the meeting transcript as "HIV"; the superintendent clarified the discussion concerned HIB (harassment, intimidation and bullying) policy and practice and said the district would follow established HIB procedures. The superintendent also said board members are unpaid and noted that teacher raises and other employee contract details appear in renewal contracts posted on the district website.
Why it matters: The numbers and the choice of outside partners shape how the district plans staff training and responses to incidents. Bringing in outside programs for difficult conversations and cultural competency is a common approach to addressing school climate, but board members and staff said they will review materials to ensure appropriate fit and nonreligious content where required.
What happens next: Dr. Kravitz said he would obtain additional data over time and that the district will follow up with more detail on program options. Board members asked for follow‑up data and for clear documentation on any program materials before implementation.
Clarifying details: Transcript repeatedly rendered "HIB" as "HIV" in several segments; the superintendent and staff used the acronym to mean harassment, intimidation and bullying and said they would provide further information and longitudinal incident data.
