Best Practices Case Study Meeting Critical Needs at the英文资料.pdfVIP

Best Practices Case Study: Meeting Critical Needs at the Elementary Level Linda Baker, June 2011 Maybrook Elementary School Valley Central School District Everyone here believes all kids can learn. – teacher School Context Serving fewer than 240 students in grades kindergarten through five, Maybrook is the smallest of the five elementary schools in the Valley Central School District in Orange County. The district serves a rural Hudson Valley area of deep historical roots that has seen significant suburban/exurban growth from families moving “upstate” from the New York City area over the years. Now the district is experiencing declining population. “I think people are moving back to the city in these hard economic times,” Maybrook’s school principal commented. The village of Maybrook, once the home of the largest rail hub in the East, now features railcars only in its historical exhibits. However, it continues to serve as a transportation and distribution center because of its proximity to Interstate 84, the New York State Thruway, and Stewart International Airport. Village officials have always been supportive of the school, said school staff members, who stressed that the village works with the school to foster recreational and educational opportunities. “They do everything for the kids,” said the principal as she described the commitment village leaders make to youth, adding, “This is a tight-knit community.” Several educators mentioned the “tremendous outpouring of support” for keeping Maybrook Elementary School open when the district considered closing the building in 2010 because of declining population and financial constraints. “It’s the heart of the community,” noted more than one staff member; as a result of the outcry, Maybrook was “saved.” The principal recalled a community celebration in 2005 commemorating the 80th anniversary of the opening of the building