There are two Concept paper sections remaining, Staffing and Interior Spaces. Staffing is the subject of this blog post and Interior Spaces will be the subject of the next. I developed a budget during 2006, revised it in 2008. While its expense categories for the most part remain the same today as then, the assumptions of both revenues and costs are way out of date making the document less valuable for informed consideration and, as such, a burden on a reader already weighed down by a lot of dry project detail.
Staffing:
The staffing listed below represents the least for successful student psycho-social and educational engagement and for sufficient school administration. Additional staff, instructional and institution-wide, while remaining essential must rely on funding; whenever funding allows staffing additional to the listed would be employed. It may be necessary to rely on interested student volunteers in administrative assistant capacities to help basic staff to accomplish staff responsibilities. But that would be up to each program and general school community to decide. While it is the intention of this concept to recruit parents with specialized knowledge advantageous to school development and functioning as “consultants” bringing expertise to Team tasks, they are not intended to be included as staff responsible for student engagement. However, parents may be asked (maybe even required) to be chaperones for field trips and at student social events and to have a large role in funding development.
Basic Staff Positions:
Rockaway College
Head ofRockaway College School
Head ofRockaway College
Facilities Manager
Business Manager
Information Technology/Library Manager
Commons Manager
Rockaway College
Early Childhood- two teachers, one paraprofessional
Primary Education-four teachers, one paraprofessional
Rockaway College
Venture School-six advisors
Lower School-six learning specialists
Upper School-six professors
TheRockaway College
The Heads of School are the lead administrators of the two major units of the institution. They facilitate and coordinate management with the professional staffs of each unit. Administrative facilitation and coordination of the Pre-School/Kindergarten and Elementary School would rest with the Head of Rockaway College School, the position becoming available on inception of Pre-School/Kindergarten Development, Fundraising and Start-up Team. Administrative facilitation and coordination of The Venture School, The Lower School and The Upper School would rest with the Head of Rockaway College the position becoming available on inception of the Venture School Development, Fundraising and Start-Up Team. Administrative facilitation and coordination of the entire institution would rest in the Head’s Council, it being initially comprised of the Project Director and Head of Rockaway College School on initiation of the Pre-School/Kindergarten Team and to expand to its intended three lead administrators on the inception of The Venture School Team.
The Pre-School/Kindergarten Team would mostly be comprised of the instructional staff of two teachers, one paraprofessional, and the Head of School. Financial constraints require the Heads to be instructional staff, thus, the Head of theRockaway College School
Facilities Manager, Business Manager and Information Technology/Library Manager would join the Team if possible. It will be difficult enough to recruit a Head of School and other instructional staff only on the promise of compensation borne from the success of their Team efforts, but recruitment of these three necessary institution-wide responsible members only on that promise is far less likely; yet, this paper intends to undertake such recruitment in the hopes three good people believing in the Concept will be forthcoming.
The initial Elementary School Team would be comprised of the instructional staff of at least two teachers and one paraprofessional, the Project Director and the Head of School, an additional teacher and paraprofessional to lower the student-teacher ratio would be preferable but is contingent on available and anticipated funding. By then there should have been generated sufficient funding to employ the Facilities Manager, Business Manager and Information Technology Manager, all of whom would assume Elementary School Team duties as well.
The enhanced Elementary School Team developing the second primary education class would keep the complement of the initial Team and add at least two teachers and one paraprofessional, an additional teacher and paraprofessional to lower the student-teacher ratio would be preferable but is contingent on available and anticipated funding.
As argued prior, to keep the promise to the school’s parents, and to their children, to graduate the spectrum of gifted and talented with a high school diploma and an Associate of Arts degree the early childhood to early college programs must be fully established. But, expansion fromRockaway College School Rockaway College
But, assuming such success, The Venture School Development, Fundraising and Start-Up Team would be created and be comprised of the six outdoor program “advisors”, the Head ofRockaway College
It should be noted here that it is the intention of this paper to, as part of expansion funding, provide employment for a primary education instructional staff member replacing the Project Director allowing him to better concentrate on Rockaway College component establishment responsibilities; nonetheless, there will remain a necessity for this administrator to assume instructional duties and these responsibilities are to be exercised in the Upper School early college program.
With The Venture School operational The Lower School Team would be established and be comprised of the six Learning Specialists, the Head of Rockaway College and the Project Director, along with the institution-wide Facilities Manager, Business Manager, IT/Librarian and Commons Manager.
With The Lower School operational The Upper School Team would be established and be comprised of five Professors, the Head of Rockaway College and the Project Director, along with the institution-wide Facilities Manager, Business Manager, IT/Librarian and Commons Manager.
All staff must feel passionately in favor of the key philosophic concepts foundational to the school. They must personally and professionally feel at ease working with a range of neuro-diverse children with different social-emotional and cognitive needs, as well feel comfortable facilitating cooperative self-directed learning and integrative interdisciplinary curricula, and working within a democratic/consensus norm based community. They must be dedicated to articulate conversation at all levels, to cultivating and modeling personal and professional habits of cooperation, to sharing with colleagues and students the continuation of personal intellectual growth and to nonviolent communication and conflict resolution. And above all they must be fully capable of developing loving, caring and warm appropriate relationships with children and other adults.
Universal responsibilities of instructional staff in each unit: administrative duties attending to school operation including but not exclusive to the formulation of budget statements, program budgetary accounting and the construction and maintenance of student records; on-going education program development to achieve the school’s mission; on-going professional development to effectively facilitate cooperative self-directed learning with a bright neuro-diverse population, community initiated cooperative whole group instruction appropriate to a varying self-regulated population and democratic/consensus community governance; student mentoring; field trip leadership and supervision; and general supervision of student interactions for the health and safety of the community in a manner fully consistent with community norms.
Pre-School/Kindergarten and Elementary instructional staff qualifications will require a completed Bachelor’s Degree with a concentration in early childhood and/or in elementary age learning and/or in special education and/or with a Montessori Teaching Certification; preference will be given to those with course work in gifted/talented/twice-exceptional education. Pre-School/Kindergarten and Elementary School instructional staff qualifications may include New York, or other, State Certification in Special Education and/or in Common Branches as well as experience in regular, special education or Montessori school settings, but such candidates must understand and accept the authentically alternative nature of Rockaway College School and pay far greater attention to the acquisition and use of new skill sets required for inclusion in this community than on the skill sets required for Certification and practiced in regular, special education or Montessori school settings.
Elementary School and Lower School instructional staff qualifications may also include professional knowledge of and practice in Free or Democratic Schools, or other types of alternative schools, but such candidates must understand and accept the unique neurology and emotional predispositions of the school’s student population and pay greater attention to the acquisition and use of new skill sets concerning the social-emotional and cognitive needs of the student population than on the skill sets usually sufficient for practice within Free or Democratic schools or in other types of alternative settings.
Venture School National Outdoor Leadership School Venture School
Upper School
The Information Technology/Librarian would best demonstrate knowledge and experience in school IT infrastructure development, instillation and maintenance and in development, instillation and maintenance of electronic library systems, as well as knowledge of multi-media hard and software; and be willing and capable of assisting instructional staff professional development on the integration of e-library and multi-media services with self-directed and negotiated learning.
The Facilities Manager would best demonstrate knowledge and experience in all facets of school or commercial building and grounds construction, reconstruction, renovation and maintenance. He/She should be familiar with the benefits and drawbacks of and procedures for service outsourcing.
The Business Manager would best demonstrate knowledge and experience of school or small-medium size commercial accounting management systems. He/She must be familiar with contract law sufficient to assure protection against liabilities. Preferred would be an individual who has knowledge and experience working with insurance, especially, in health and in liability, who has knowledge and experience working in employee benefit areas such as retirement and, most of all, who has knowledge and experience working in non-profit fundraising management.
The Commons Manager would best demonstrate knowledge and experience in school or corporate commissary operations including facilities development and maintenance, administration, food service, sanitation and health regulation compliance.
The Heads of Schools facilitate the community budget development process for their schools, act as the business agents for their schools being responsible along with the Business Manager for purchasing and for facilities and equipment maintenance among many other leadership duties. They are tasked to be the designated school administrator satisfying state requirements for daily supervision for their individual schools.
Qualifications for the Heads of Rockaway College School and of Rockaway College will require at least a Masters Degree, although a Ph.D. would be preferred, in areas pertinent to the level of social-emotional and cognitive development in neurologically atypical children, such as Special Education with an emphasis on child and adolescent G/T/ 2e identification, psychology and learning. Preferred would be individuals who have professional knowledge in Montessori theory and practice, and/or comparative and unconventional learning theory and practice. While formal advanced education in school Administration overwhelmingly favors theory and practice in hierarchical organizations, which Rockaway College is definitely not, the individual with such grounding demonstrating a depth of professional knowledge in and a temperament for facilitation, supervision and financial acumen within a decentralized, democratic governance organization will find favor as well as those candidates who have administration experience within hierarchical education structures and who demonstrate a depth of professional knowledge in and a temperament for facilitation, supervision and financial acumen within a decentralized, democratic governance.
Staffing:
The staffing listed below represents the least for successful student psycho-social and educational engagement and for sufficient school administration. Additional staff, instructional and institution-wide, while remaining essential must rely on funding; whenever funding allows staffing additional to the listed would be employed. It may be necessary to rely on interested student volunteers in administrative assistant capacities to help basic staff to accomplish staff responsibilities. But that would be up to each program and general school community to decide. While it is the intention of this concept to recruit parents with specialized knowledge advantageous to school development and functioning as “consultants” bringing expertise to Team tasks, they are not intended to be included as staff responsible for student engagement. However, parents may be asked (maybe even required) to be chaperones for field trips and at student social events and to have a large role in funding development.
Basic Staff Positions:
Head of
Head of
Facilities Manager
Business Manager
Information Technology/Library Manager
Commons Manager
Early Childhood- two teachers, one paraprofessional
Primary Education-four teachers, one paraprofessional
Venture School-six advisors
Lower School-six learning specialists
Upper School-six professors
The
The Heads of School are the lead administrators of the two major units of the institution. They facilitate and coordinate management with the professional staffs of each unit. Administrative facilitation and coordination of the Pre-School/Kindergarten and Elementary School would rest with the Head of Rockaway College School, the position becoming available on inception of Pre-School/Kindergarten Development, Fundraising and Start-up Team. Administrative facilitation and coordination of The Venture School, The Lower School and The Upper School would rest with the Head of Rockaway College the position becoming available on inception of the Venture School Development, Fundraising and Start-Up Team. Administrative facilitation and coordination of the entire institution would rest in the Head’s Council, it being initially comprised of the Project Director and Head of Rockaway College School on initiation of the Pre-School/Kindergarten Team and to expand to its intended three lead administrators on the inception of The Venture School Team.
The Pre-School/Kindergarten Team would mostly be comprised of the instructional staff of two teachers, one paraprofessional, and the Head of School. Financial constraints require the Heads to be instructional staff, thus, the Head of the
Facilities Manager, Business Manager and Information Technology/Library Manager would join the Team if possible. It will be difficult enough to recruit a Head of School and other instructional staff only on the promise of compensation borne from the success of their Team efforts, but recruitment of these three necessary institution-wide responsible members only on that promise is far less likely; yet, this paper intends to undertake such recruitment in the hopes three good people believing in the Concept will be forthcoming.
The initial Elementary School Team would be comprised of the instructional staff of at least two teachers and one paraprofessional, the Project Director and the Head of School, an additional teacher and paraprofessional to lower the student-teacher ratio would be preferable but is contingent on available and anticipated funding. By then there should have been generated sufficient funding to employ the Facilities Manager, Business Manager and Information Technology Manager, all of whom would assume Elementary School Team duties as well.
The enhanced Elementary School Team developing the second primary education class would keep the complement of the initial Team and add at least two teachers and one paraprofessional, an additional teacher and paraprofessional to lower the student-teacher ratio would be preferable but is contingent on available and anticipated funding.
As argued prior, to keep the promise to the school’s parents, and to their children, to graduate the spectrum of gifted and talented with a high school diploma and an Associate of Arts degree the early childhood to early college programs must be fully established. But, expansion from
But, assuming such success, The Venture School Development, Fundraising and Start-Up Team would be created and be comprised of the six outdoor program “advisors”, the Head of
It should be noted here that it is the intention of this paper to, as part of expansion funding, provide employment for a primary education instructional staff member replacing the Project Director allowing him to better concentrate on Rockaway College component establishment responsibilities; nonetheless, there will remain a necessity for this administrator to assume instructional duties and these responsibilities are to be exercised in the Upper School early college program.
With The Venture School operational The Lower School Team would be established and be comprised of the six Learning Specialists, the Head of Rockaway College and the Project Director, along with the institution-wide Facilities Manager, Business Manager, IT/Librarian and Commons Manager.
With The Lower School operational The Upper School Team would be established and be comprised of five Professors, the Head of Rockaway College and the Project Director, along with the institution-wide Facilities Manager, Business Manager, IT/Librarian and Commons Manager.
All staff must feel passionately in favor of the key philosophic concepts foundational to the school. They must personally and professionally feel at ease working with a range of neuro-diverse children with different social-emotional and cognitive needs, as well feel comfortable facilitating cooperative self-directed learning and integrative interdisciplinary curricula, and working within a democratic/consensus norm based community. They must be dedicated to articulate conversation at all levels, to cultivating and modeling personal and professional habits of cooperation, to sharing with colleagues and students the continuation of personal intellectual growth and to nonviolent communication and conflict resolution. And above all they must be fully capable of developing loving, caring and warm appropriate relationships with children and other adults.
Universal responsibilities of instructional staff in each unit: administrative duties attending to school operation including but not exclusive to the formulation of budget statements, program budgetary accounting and the construction and maintenance of student records; on-going education program development to achieve the school’s mission; on-going professional development to effectively facilitate cooperative self-directed learning with a bright neuro-diverse population, community initiated cooperative whole group instruction appropriate to a varying self-regulated population and democratic/consensus community governance; student mentoring; field trip leadership and supervision; and general supervision of student interactions for the health and safety of the community in a manner fully consistent with community norms.
Pre-School/Kindergarten and Elementary instructional staff qualifications will require a completed Bachelor’s Degree with a concentration in early childhood and/or in elementary age learning and/or in special education and/or with a Montessori Teaching Certification; preference will be given to those with course work in gifted/talented/twice-exceptional education. Pre-School/Kindergarten and Elementary School instructional staff qualifications may include New York, or other, State Certification in Special Education and/or in Common Branches as well as experience in regular, special education or Montessori school settings, but such candidates must understand and accept the authentically alternative nature of Rockaway College School and pay far greater attention to the acquisition and use of new skill sets required for inclusion in this community than on the skill sets required for Certification and practiced in regular, special education or Montessori school settings.
Elementary School and Lower School instructional staff qualifications may also include professional knowledge of and practice in Free or Democratic Schools, or other types of alternative schools, but such candidates must understand and accept the unique neurology and emotional predispositions of the school’s student population and pay greater attention to the acquisition and use of new skill sets concerning the social-emotional and cognitive needs of the student population than on the skill sets usually sufficient for practice within Free or Democratic schools or in other types of alternative settings.
The Information Technology/Librarian would best demonstrate knowledge and experience in school IT infrastructure development, instillation and maintenance and in development, instillation and maintenance of electronic library systems, as well as knowledge of multi-media hard and software; and be willing and capable of assisting instructional staff professional development on the integration of e-library and multi-media services with self-directed and negotiated learning.
The Facilities Manager would best demonstrate knowledge and experience in all facets of school or commercial building and grounds construction, reconstruction, renovation and maintenance. He/She should be familiar with the benefits and drawbacks of and procedures for service outsourcing.
The Business Manager would best demonstrate knowledge and experience of school or small-medium size commercial accounting management systems. He/She must be familiar with contract law sufficient to assure protection against liabilities. Preferred would be an individual who has knowledge and experience working with insurance, especially, in health and in liability, who has knowledge and experience working in employee benefit areas such as retirement and, most of all, who has knowledge and experience working in non-profit fundraising management.
The Commons Manager would best demonstrate knowledge and experience in school or corporate commissary operations including facilities development and maintenance, administration, food service, sanitation and health regulation compliance.
The Heads of Schools facilitate the community budget development process for their schools, act as the business agents for their schools being responsible along with the Business Manager for purchasing and for facilities and equipment maintenance among many other leadership duties. They are tasked to be the designated school administrator satisfying state requirements for daily supervision for their individual schools.
Qualifications for the Heads of Rockaway College School and of Rockaway College will require at least a Masters Degree, although a Ph.D. would be preferred, in areas pertinent to the level of social-emotional and cognitive development in neurologically atypical children, such as Special Education with an emphasis on child and adolescent G/T/ 2e identification, psychology and learning. Preferred would be individuals who have professional knowledge in Montessori theory and practice, and/or comparative and unconventional learning theory and practice. While formal advanced education in school Administration overwhelmingly favors theory and practice in hierarchical organizations, which Rockaway College is definitely not, the individual with such grounding demonstrating a depth of professional knowledge in and a temperament for facilitation, supervision and financial acumen within a decentralized, democratic governance organization will find favor as well as those candidates who have administration experience within hierarchical education structures and who demonstrate a depth of professional knowledge in and a temperament for facilitation, supervision and financial acumen within a decentralized, democratic governance.
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