Photo by Giammarco Boscaro on Unsplash
My daughter hated history.
It was a personal tragedy for our family. I started teaching history in New York City Public Schools in 1998. My mother, uncle, and two cousins are history teachers. I also come from a family of educators (my aunt is a math teacher, another aunt is a physical education teacher, and another two cousins teach English Literature and English as a Second Language). So, we were all very confused when my daughter disliked an entire subject.
In 2018, when she entered 11th grade, a new history teacher planted that seed, ignited that spark, and suddenly, history became one of her favorite subjects.
Ridgewood has amazing teachers, robust programs, caring staff, and opportunities for kids to express themselves and try out different things. However, students like my daughter sometimes get lost in our big schools, and really need the individual attention of a great teacher to guide them towards learning. Too many parents rely on tutors to fill in those gaps. I understand that that one-on-one attention is difficult to find in a large system, but I know that it can be done.
As a lifelong educator with twenty five years of experience in the largest school district in the country, I know that large schools can give students that individual attention they need to reach their highest possibilities. The key is to believe in our kids and create the right structures to make that happen.
Every child deserves to be seen, known, nurtured, and challenged. I am Julie Mchedlishvili and that is why I am running for Board of Education in Ridgewood, NJ.
Check out my website and follow me on Facebook at Julie Mchedlishvili for Ridgewood Board of Education.