On Wednesday, January 27th, I had the pleasure of interviewing John Jay High School’s newest member of administration, Ms. Silverman. Currently serving as our school’s Interim Assistant Principal, Ms. Silverman and I conversed over topics such as midterm week, our school’s administrative policies, and the future of John Jay. Featured are some interesting moments in our discussion:

Q: How are you?
A: *laughter* I’m great!
Q: Where did you work before John Jay?
A: I worked at Tappan Zee High School and I’ve been in the field for 42 years… This’ll be my 43rd year. I taught math first, then I became an assistant principal. I was 24 years as a teacher, and 18 years as an assistant principal… and then this came along and it seemed like a good fit.

Q: How do you like John Jay’s Administration?
A: I like them very much. I’ve only been here for a couple of weeks, but I feel like I’ve worked here my whole career. Very inclusive, respectful, friendly, a great experience. No complaints.

Q: What’s your opinion on this new midterm schedule?
A: *laughs* Yeah… we’ve been talking a lot about that. It’s interesting, we’ve struggled with the same topic in my previous district. There are pluses and minuses on both sides. I think there are people who feel that midterms serve a purpose and there are other people who ask, “why are we assessing at the middle of the year the way that we are assessing? There are other ways to assess in terms of projects and portfolios and problem-based learning.” I don’t have my own opinion right now, I haven’t been here long enough and there’s a culture and history, but I think everyone will agree that that the current structure has not been the best for the kids. I think that’s the focus the administration is going to look at with the teachers and they’ll see if they can come up with something that’ll work out better.

Q: I’ve heard rumors saying that the administration is going to move back to the old midterm schedule… do you think next year there’s going to be something new?
A: I think that the administration will start having conversations about it with faculty and together they’ll come up with something that works. There has to be a reason why they went to this model this year. So my guess is, knowing what I know already on how inclusive and collaborative everyone is, that they’re going to have those conversations moving forward. In my prior school, students sat at the table, they weren’t necessarily part of the decision, but they were a voice. I think that’s how that it works here as well. I know that the superintendent met with Campus Congress to talk about what they’re looking for in a new principal. To me, that speaks to how kids in the school are being included in some of the decision making.

Q: How has your personal highschool experience affected the way you work as an administration worker?
A: To me as a student? Oh, that’s a long time ago! Hm, that’s an interesting question. I grew up in Brooklyn, so that’s different. It was city versus suburb, which is where we’re in right now. I liked highschool and I was a good student. I think the way it shaped me was one of the reasons why I wanted to become a teacher in the first place. My experience as a student is what helped me shape my career.

Q: Are there any John Jay policies that stand out or are different from previous schools you’ve worked at?
A: I would say the culture here has some similarities but there are also some differences. When I walk the halls, there’s a freedom to some level. When students are in the hallways, they’re socializing, and then there’s a moment in time when everybody recognizes that it’s time to move on and get to class. That culture is a little bit different. Students are allowed the opportunity to unwind for 2 or 3 minutes and then move on to where they need to be. There’s strong respect on both sides. There’s strong respect students to staff and staff towards students. Very friendly, it’s a nice place to come to work. Every student I’ve spoken to has said that it’s a nice place to come to school. The morale, considering you’ve had so much administrative change, is really excellent.

Q: What can the administration do to alleviate academic stress?
A: I think one of the areas is the midterm. I think that’s a prime example of the administration and the faculty working towards supporting kids so that they’re not as stressed this time of year. It’s also a topic that’s brought up all the time… it’s like, “what came first, the chicken or the egg?” Are schools creating stress or is stress coming from the individual? It’s hard to say. I know, as a school, and even in the workplace, there’s stress. You have to learn coping skills. How to handle it. Your guidance counselors are first responders. There are a majority of kids who have certain teachers that they feel comfortable with to confide in and share their concerns. This is one area that the school reviews, and then make, as needed, adjustments in the school environment and culture, such as having midterms and potentially finals. I don’t know if we’re going to eliminate all of the stress, but we have to learn how to accommodate it and work through it.

I’d like to thank Ms. Silverman for taking time out of her busy schedule to meet with me for the interview. Welcome to John Jay!