The Camden City School District just announced the conclusion of a one-month community engagement campaign which gathered feedback on the views of students, parents, teachers, and residents about the district’s progress.  Five community meetings were held this summer, hosted by Advisory Board members; participants were surveyed on how the district can improve technological support, vocational opportunities, parent involvement, and Central Office responsiveness, as well as simplify the enrollment process. District personnel will now revise the district’s strategic plan, called the  Camden Commitment, to include this updated information.

Vanessa Serrano, a lifelong Camden resident and mother of three, remarked, “I can’t remember the last time a Superintendent’s gone out of his way to meet with parents, or to take an interest in all of Camden’s public school students – including kids at charter, District, and the new renaissance schools. After attending the North Camden community meeting, I am excited about the District’s plan to get all types of Camden schools working together on behalf of our children.”

From the press release:

“The Camden Commitment was created with the goal of ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality education,” said Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard. “While we have made progress over the past 18 months, we still have a lot of work to do. The feedback we’ve received from the community will inform our approach for the next 18 months to make sure we’re meeting the unique needs of Camden students, educators, and parents. By working together every step of the way, we will make our schools and our communities safer and stronger.

From the survey:

–          The majority of respondents believe that the District has made progress since January 2014 in school safety, modernizing school buildings, student support, teaching and learning, serving parents, and Central Office effectiveness;
–          Nearly 70 percent of respondents indicated that the District had made progress on the Camden Commitment’s Promise 3b, Great Teaching and Learning, which strives to provide excellent teachers and quality-learning environments to children from pre-K onward.
–          Respondents cited Promise 2, 21st Century School Buildings, which aims to modernize schools and equip them with top-of-the-line technology, as making the least amount of progress since January 2014.
–          Nearly half of respondents want to see enhanced communication with parents through different means, such as text alerts.
–          Over 50 percent of respondents believe that creating a positive school culture is the key to safer City schools.