We Wish You Farewell,
Dr. Ben-Dov
Dr. Tova Ben-Dov said farewell to the River Edge School District on February 26, 2021 after 11 years as Superintendent. We asked a few questions about her time spent here and what's next in her life.....
Q. Can you reflect on your past 11 years at River Edge? What are your proudest accomplishments with the district?
A. During my time in River Edge there were so many experiences and accomplishments that I am proud of but it’s important to emphasize that they aren’t mine alone. They are the accomplishments of out administrative, educational, and supporting RE team. A leader often initiates projects, a philosophy, or a pedagogical approach but it is implemented by the entire educational community or else it can’t work. So the first accomplishment I am proud of is how well we have all collaborated and worked together to benefit RE students. It is a complex puzzle with every person, doing his or her part based on specific roles individuals hold within it.
To mention just a few specific projects over the years I’ll include the establishment of a full day kindergarten, our ongoing creative manner of finding space for the RE growing community, the implementation of technology across the curriculum rather than having it as a “special” which it used to be when I arrived, the initiative of STEAM and the remodeling of the STEAM labs was a big undertaking, as was the gradual progress towards obtaining one-on-one technology for all students and staff. There were many more concrete ones that would take pages to list, but the ones I am most proud of were ongoing: it was the quest to differentiate instruction for our students and offer them what they needed. Included in this is: differentiation within the classroom, the creation of the PDIA (Post-dismissal Instructional Academy), the academic support offered during the summer, the NJTSS (NJ Tiered Systems of Support), and the newest one which was W.I.N. (what I need) which the RE team implemented last year and is pursuing at this time. I am also proud of the various student leadership programs we instituted. The other ongoing efforts and achievements of which I am very proud is the selection, hiring, and mentoring of staff and the support we have given over the years to new and veteran teachers, making them even better professionals! I swell with pride when I enter a classroom and see the growth in our teachers or when projects that are being accomplished are shared with me, especially the creative ones that are born out of necessity and are implemented digitally during the pandemic.
The accomplishments in education aren’t always linear or direct. Therefore, when we help an individual or invest efforts in an initiative we do not reap immediate rewards. At times we never know how these undertakings affected others in the long run. When I receive a letter from a former student sharing how significantly the education in RE affected him, or from a parent who shares happiness and satisfaction with her child’s education, or a note from a teacher, sharing how support helped her grow, then I know that all the investment of hard work and effort were not in vain.
Q. How has your position changed over the years?
A. The short answer is that the position grew by leaps and bounds and I had to work harder every year to keep up with the demands while also implementing projects and initiatives of choice that were voluntary, unique to RE and that we deemed important. Education is forever evolving, as it should. The populations we aim to educate change. The directives and demands from the DOE are altered all the time and are often abrupt, with concrete deadlines. And then there are also objective environmental factors. During my time in RE we needed to adjust curriculum standards numerous times, the integration of technology grew over the years, our RE community became richer in its ethnicity, culture, and the number of languages spoken and it became obvious that students from very diverse backgrounds had to be accommodated. The families also needed more help and required ongoing information and support which we offered through numerous Parent Academies. The RE population also grew in number, necessitating ongoing space deliberations and solutions. The State became quite demanding in its requests for reports and documentation. The violence experienced in schools across the country prompted us to devote a great deal of time and resources to insure student and staff safety through new protocols and safety devices. Finally, the current pandemic over the past year placed a completely new regiment of operations, sometimes around the clock, that were previously unknown and forever changing.
Q. What were some of the biggest challenges that you faced in your position as superintendent and how were you able to tackle them?
A. A huge part of a Superintendent‘s role is to solve problems and to make sure that the district operates efficiently, effectively, and according to local policies. We also have to legal requirements that are constantly changing. Many of the challenges I faced were legal and confidential which is why they are resolved behind the scenes and out of the public eye. One of the more obvious challenges included the growth of the RE student population. We solved it differently every year; at times we carved spaces out of larger ones or repurposed them, as needed, at another time we had to move the K classes to their home buildings, or to open a class at RS and invite CHS students to join. These are just some examples, but this challenge will continue, possibly ending up with a future referendum. Another obvious challenge was funding and resources. State Aid was never fully funded and the challenge of not over taxing RE residents while providing our students and staff with an excellent education has been an ongoing challenge. Working with the Board and the Business Administrator we kept “massaging” the budget every year and somehow managed to offer our students the services and supplies they needed. One of the nicest statements a Board Member once offered was: “Dr. Ben-Dov runs a champagne district on a beer budget” The credit goes to the entire team of course but it was so nice to hear! The financial resources have also been challenging since the old buildings need ongoing replacements of major operational systems and security provisions so we tried to take advantage of various grants, whenever possible. The PTO’s were very generous in providing the district with ongoing upgrades in technology devices and have rounded out the students’ education in areas that we couldn’t afford to accommodate through the annual budget so that was very helpful! To mention just another important item is the challenge of accommodating students from various backgrounds. We hired additional ESL staff over the years and tried to help our community of new families through outreach efforts.
Finally, I would mention the obvious: the challenge of the pandemic has been with us for a full year now. It couldn’t be easily overcome as directives from the State were often absent and superintendents were forced to make “medical” decisions based on recommendations. A huge challenge in this situation was the need to accommodate different constituencies who often have conflicting needs which is realistically almost impossible. However, I do believe that everyone’s hard work and transparency during this process have been productive. The greatest comfort I have in overcoming the challenge of this new reality is the knowledge that I did all that I could to keep the RE community safe during the pandemic while also educating our students in the best possible manner available to us under the circumstances.
Q. What does your next chapter look like? Any hints on how you plan to enjoy your retirement? Do you have any plans to write a book?
A. This question brings simultaneously, a smile and a frown to my face. The reason for my smile: after working in the field of education for the past 44 years and in additional fields prior to that, I look forward to taking a pause. I have absolutely no plans at this time except one short trip to a sunny beach and seeing my grandchildren and friends when we’re safe. And the reason for the frown: I love the RE community and all its constituencies and I’ll miss the people terribly! Also, knowing myself, I am not sure how one goes from 100+ of work and keeping a huge framework of people, programs, problems, and solutions in one’s mind to a vacuum…So I believe that after a short rest, I’ll “reinvent myself” and become productive in some fashion. Mentoring educational professionals or lecturing in academia comes naturally and is a part time possibility that I am entertaining.
As to a book, I was asked about it in the past. I am not sure if I shall write one, but if I do it will be focused on diversity. It will entail my own experiences as a child of the Holocaust, a woman, foreign born, living in and adjusting to different cultures, not coming up “through the ranks” and overcoming numerous obstacles. If I write one, it will be with the goal of inspiring other girls or women to move forward in their lives in any direction they choose. In my case it was to hold the position of Superintendent of Schools in “Mainstream America” which I consider the pinnacle of my career.
With My Best Wishes to the River Edge Community for Continued Success, and with the words of Margaret Whitley, that have always been dear to me:
Take Care of Yourself
Take care of Each other
Take Care of this Place
A. During my time in River Edge there were so many experiences and accomplishments that I am proud of but it’s important to emphasize that they aren’t mine alone. They are the accomplishments of out administrative, educational, and supporting RE team. A leader often initiates projects, a philosophy, or a pedagogical approach but it is implemented by the entire educational community or else it can’t work. So the first accomplishment I am proud of is how well we have all collaborated and worked together to benefit RE students. It is a complex puzzle with every person, doing his or her part based on specific roles individuals hold within it.
To mention just a few specific projects over the years I’ll include the establishment of a full day kindergarten, our ongoing creative manner of finding space for the RE growing community, the implementation of technology across the curriculum rather than having it as a “special” which it used to be when I arrived, the initiative of STEAM and the remodeling of the STEAM labs was a big undertaking, as was the gradual progress towards obtaining one-on-one technology for all students and staff. There were many more concrete ones that would take pages to list, but the ones I am most proud of were ongoing: it was the quest to differentiate instruction for our students and offer them what they needed. Included in this is: differentiation within the classroom, the creation of the PDIA (Post-dismissal Instructional Academy), the academic support offered during the summer, the NJTSS (NJ Tiered Systems of Support), and the newest one which was W.I.N. (what I need) which the RE team implemented last year and is pursuing at this time. I am also proud of the various student leadership programs we instituted. The other ongoing efforts and achievements of which I am very proud is the selection, hiring, and mentoring of staff and the support we have given over the years to new and veteran teachers, making them even better professionals! I swell with pride when I enter a classroom and see the growth in our teachers or when projects that are being accomplished are shared with me, especially the creative ones that are born out of necessity and are implemented digitally during the pandemic.
The accomplishments in education aren’t always linear or direct. Therefore, when we help an individual or invest efforts in an initiative we do not reap immediate rewards. At times we never know how these undertakings affected others in the long run. When I receive a letter from a former student sharing how significantly the education in RE affected him, or from a parent who shares happiness and satisfaction with her child’s education, or a note from a teacher, sharing how support helped her grow, then I know that all the investment of hard work and effort were not in vain.
Q. How has your position changed over the years?
A. The short answer is that the position grew by leaps and bounds and I had to work harder every year to keep up with the demands while also implementing projects and initiatives of choice that were voluntary, unique to RE and that we deemed important. Education is forever evolving, as it should. The populations we aim to educate change. The directives and demands from the DOE are altered all the time and are often abrupt, with concrete deadlines. And then there are also objective environmental factors. During my time in RE we needed to adjust curriculum standards numerous times, the integration of technology grew over the years, our RE community became richer in its ethnicity, culture, and the number of languages spoken and it became obvious that students from very diverse backgrounds had to be accommodated. The families also needed more help and required ongoing information and support which we offered through numerous Parent Academies. The RE population also grew in number, necessitating ongoing space deliberations and solutions. The State became quite demanding in its requests for reports and documentation. The violence experienced in schools across the country prompted us to devote a great deal of time and resources to insure student and staff safety through new protocols and safety devices. Finally, the current pandemic over the past year placed a completely new regiment of operations, sometimes around the clock, that were previously unknown and forever changing.
Q. What were some of the biggest challenges that you faced in your position as superintendent and how were you able to tackle them?
A. A huge part of a Superintendent‘s role is to solve problems and to make sure that the district operates efficiently, effectively, and according to local policies. We also have to legal requirements that are constantly changing. Many of the challenges I faced were legal and confidential which is why they are resolved behind the scenes and out of the public eye. One of the more obvious challenges included the growth of the RE student population. We solved it differently every year; at times we carved spaces out of larger ones or repurposed them, as needed, at another time we had to move the K classes to their home buildings, or to open a class at RS and invite CHS students to join. These are just some examples, but this challenge will continue, possibly ending up with a future referendum. Another obvious challenge was funding and resources. State Aid was never fully funded and the challenge of not over taxing RE residents while providing our students and staff with an excellent education has been an ongoing challenge. Working with the Board and the Business Administrator we kept “massaging” the budget every year and somehow managed to offer our students the services and supplies they needed. One of the nicest statements a Board Member once offered was: “Dr. Ben-Dov runs a champagne district on a beer budget” The credit goes to the entire team of course but it was so nice to hear! The financial resources have also been challenging since the old buildings need ongoing replacements of major operational systems and security provisions so we tried to take advantage of various grants, whenever possible. The PTO’s were very generous in providing the district with ongoing upgrades in technology devices and have rounded out the students’ education in areas that we couldn’t afford to accommodate through the annual budget so that was very helpful! To mention just another important item is the challenge of accommodating students from various backgrounds. We hired additional ESL staff over the years and tried to help our community of new families through outreach efforts.
Finally, I would mention the obvious: the challenge of the pandemic has been with us for a full year now. It couldn’t be easily overcome as directives from the State were often absent and superintendents were forced to make “medical” decisions based on recommendations. A huge challenge in this situation was the need to accommodate different constituencies who often have conflicting needs which is realistically almost impossible. However, I do believe that everyone’s hard work and transparency during this process have been productive. The greatest comfort I have in overcoming the challenge of this new reality is the knowledge that I did all that I could to keep the RE community safe during the pandemic while also educating our students in the best possible manner available to us under the circumstances.
Q. What does your next chapter look like? Any hints on how you plan to enjoy your retirement? Do you have any plans to write a book?
A. This question brings simultaneously, a smile and a frown to my face. The reason for my smile: after working in the field of education for the past 44 years and in additional fields prior to that, I look forward to taking a pause. I have absolutely no plans at this time except one short trip to a sunny beach and seeing my grandchildren and friends when we’re safe. And the reason for the frown: I love the RE community and all its constituencies and I’ll miss the people terribly! Also, knowing myself, I am not sure how one goes from 100+ of work and keeping a huge framework of people, programs, problems, and solutions in one’s mind to a vacuum…So I believe that after a short rest, I’ll “reinvent myself” and become productive in some fashion. Mentoring educational professionals or lecturing in academia comes naturally and is a part time possibility that I am entertaining.
As to a book, I was asked about it in the past. I am not sure if I shall write one, but if I do it will be focused on diversity. It will entail my own experiences as a child of the Holocaust, a woman, foreign born, living in and adjusting to different cultures, not coming up “through the ranks” and overcoming numerous obstacles. If I write one, it will be with the goal of inspiring other girls or women to move forward in their lives in any direction they choose. In my case it was to hold the position of Superintendent of Schools in “Mainstream America” which I consider the pinnacle of my career.
With My Best Wishes to the River Edge Community for Continued Success, and with the words of Margaret Whitley, that have always been dear to me:
Take Care of Yourself
Take care of Each other
Take Care of this Place
