NJ Legislators Become Teachers For the Day in Hopewell Schools

One day last month, N.J. State Senator Linda Greenstein (D-14th District) joined Timberlane Middle School science teacher Mrs. Nancy Greener’s class in dissecting lumps of compost.

“I didn’t put my hands in there, the students dissected the compost,” said Greenstein, who came to the classroom as part of an event called Teacher for the Day. “But Mrs. Greener dove into the dissection with gusto,” said Senator Greenstein.

“Teachers are not like they were in the old days, when I went to school, and they stood at the front of the classroom,” remarked Greenstein, a lawyer by training. “Today, teachers are really engaged, and this experiential learning is something the kids will really remember. I was also surprised at how teaching has become so physically demanding.”

Hopewell teachers are hopeful that Greenstein will remember her experience, too, when she returns to work in the state Senate, which will no doubt be considering education legislation this term.

Showing lawmakers what teachers do every day was the idea behind Teacher for the Day, which was organized by the Hopewell Valley Education Association (HVEA), the district teachers’ union.

“Education is in the forefront of many conversations and decisions,” said Heidi Olson, a special education teacher at Hopewell Elementary School and president of the HVEA. “We believe that for people to make valid decisions that affect our schools, they should have the knowledge and current understanding of the achievements and challenges of today’s classrooms.”

“By inviting decision makers into our classes, we can provide them with that knowledge,” said Mrs. Olson. “We also wanted to remind legislators about all of the wonderful things that happen in our classrooms and of how hard our teachers and students work.”

The idea was enthusiastically supported by HVRSD Superintendent Thomas A. Smith.

“I support anything that brings together the two worlds of education and government,” said Dr. Smith. “We need each other now more than ever, and Teacher for the Day is a great way to share our experiences and points of view.”

The Hopewell event, which placed four state legislators in classrooms around the district, is part of a statewide Teacher for the Day effort being led by the New Jersey Education Association, the statewide teachers union. Hopewell’s event was the first in the state this academic year.

At Stony Brook Elementary School, Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, (D-15th District, which includes Hopewell) led second graders in Janet Cole’s class in a discussion about all of the December holidays that different cultures celebrate. At Central High School, Assemblyman Daniel R. Benson (D-14th District), who represents parts of Mercer and Middlesex Counties, taught World History lessons for the day with teachers Jeff Neuman and Dan Balog. And at Hopewell Elementary, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora worked side by side on mathematics with Kym Harjes’ second grade class.

“It was a great opportunity to see first-hand the teaching that goes into helping students prepare for a global economy, “ said Assemblyman Gusciora (D-15th District), an attorney. “We’re preparing them for a complex world, and teachers are on the front lines of this, demonstrating hard work and dedication.”

“It was a great opportunity to see how bright the children are and how hard the teachers work,” said Assemblywoman Watson Coleman. And Assemblyman Benson said he’ll use his day in the classroom as a reference point when at work in the Legislature.

“This will help us, when working with our fellow legislators, in breaking down any misconceptions they may have about education”, he said.

“It’s always good to have a reminder,” said Ms. Greenstein, “of all the good things happening in our schools.”

Mrs. Olson stated, “This was a very exciting and positive event for our members, our students, and the legislators. We are looking forward to hosting a second event this spring and inviting more of our locally elected leaders and community members to participate. Great things happen when people are informed and work together and I know that we all want the best for our students.”