On her very first day of student teaching at Linden Avenue Middle School in Red Hook, N.Y., Martha Strever pushed, pulled and pounded on the school’s door, which was locked. No one came. Where was everybody? It was, after all, the first day of school.

It turned out everybody was exactly where they were supposed to be: inside, having entered through the school’s front entrance. Strever had been knocking on a side door. Flustered but undeterred, she not only found her way inside, she also found her life’s calling.

Paraprofessionals and school-related personnel are often overlooked because of their support roles. They are the last ones hired and often the first ones fired when budgets get tight. This certainly seems true right now as the Trump administration withholds nearly $7 billion in education funds, effective July 1, which has hamstrung summer school programs, hindered English language support, halted professional development this summer, and left before- and after-school programs in limbo for the coming school year.

Message from the Office of Teaching & Learning

Dear Teachers and Instructional Staff,

We are excited by the positive impact of implementing Cornell Notes and Everybody Writes across Newark Public Schools. These strategies help students engage deeply, think critically, and make their learning visible, encouraging us to continue and expand their use.

Research shows that structured writing improves students’ ability to process and build knowledge (Graham & Perin, 2007). Cornell Notes promote metacognition by guiding students to record, summarize, and reflect (Flavell, 1979), while Everybody Writes encourages continuous writing and real-time insight into student understanding. Both strategies foster rich classroom discussions that develop academic vocabulary and critical thinking, supporting Vygotsky’s (1978) idea that learning grows through social interaction. Students then revise their work, strengthening reflection and knowledge construction.

Since students can’t write well about what they don’t understand, observing their writing and conversations provides valuable insight into their thinking. These practices align with best instructional methods and help drive continuous growth and success.

Thank you for your dedication to enhancing student learning through these effective writing strategies.

Warm regards,
Sylvia Esteves
Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning