Foundation Academies Charter School Provides an Education Alternative in Trenton

Photos courtesy of Foundation Academies Charter School

By Anne Levin

Every spring since 2007, Foundation Academies in Trenton holds a lottery to determine which children will attend the following fall. It is an emotional evening — at once joyous and mournful.

“It is one of the most gratifying, but also the saddest nights of the year,” says Graig Weiss, CEO of the charter school that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grades. “We now have more than 800 kids on the waiting list. People go away either crying or screaming with joy.”

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Interview by Taylor Smith | Photographs courtesy of The Wilberforce School

Describe your work and educational background before your entrance into teaching.

Immediately after receiving my undergraduate degree in computer science, I started working on ground system processing and satellite computer designs for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in Colorado in the late 1980s. While working on various space-related projects, I fell in love with designing satellites, but I wanted to work on remote sensing systems in the earth sciences. After working in defense contracting for five years, I moved to England to study ocean physics and satellite oceanography at the University of Southampton. After many adventures on the English Channel, I came back to complete my PhD under Dr. George Born at the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR), using satellites to study ocean physics funded by NASA. Ironically, after graduating, I went back to work on a Navy satellite that uses radar altimetry to measure the ocean’s sea surface height. Finally, when The Wilberforce School started their high school in 2014, they needed someone who could teach physics and had experience using MATLAB (Matrix Laboratory Programing). My daughter was attending the Wilberforce lower school at the time, which is how they knew of me, and they asked if I would consider teaching at the high school since I had studied physics (oceanic and atmospheric), and I had experience with MATLAB. more

Interview by Taylor Smith | Photographs courtesy of Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart

Describe your educational background and what led you to Stuart Country Day School?

I have my doctorate in technology and learning, from Teachers College, Columbia University. Here at Stuart, I am able to apply my educational background and my academic research, which included topics on how we use technology to expand our creativity, and innovative thinking, into the work I do here at Stuart supporting high school students. The girls at Stuart are college bound, and in addition to learning context, the skills I integrate into my courses are grounding students with learning theories, ideas about how to make products, and the design thinking process. more

Interview by Taylor Smith | Photographs courtesy of Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart

Describe your role at Stuart and give an example of some of the classes that you typically teach.

My role of STEM/SIFE coordinator allows me to collaborate with teachers to infuse STEM, finance, and economics into the curriculum. As one of the three technology innovation specialists at Stuart, I work with the Upper School to integrate technology. Also, I teach computer science in the Upper School. My classes include Robotics, Design of Emerging Technologies, and AP Computer Science Principles. Design of Emerging Technologies is a project-based class where students utilize design thinking to build their own creation using programming, a microcontroller, and sensors. Students have created touch panels that work with LED boards, balls that record their velocity, virtual reality applications, and even built a piano staircase.

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Interview by Taylor Smith | Photographs courtesy of Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart

What subject matter do you teach at Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart and what initially attracted you to the school?

I teach Middle School art at Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, which includes grades 5 through 8. I first learned about Princeton Academy as the parent of a prospective student over nine years ago. My wife and I were looking for a school that prioritized individualized attention while embracing each student as part of a community. We were particularly concerned about our middle son, who didn’t receive teacher attention as a quiet and well-behaved student. As parents of boys, we wondered whether an all-boys environment would resonate with our son’s personality. So, we took the plunge. more

Photos courtesy of Michael Branscom

What fueled your passion to rework the science curriculum at Princeton Day School?

While chair of the science department at a New Jersey boarding school, I connected with the highly regarded interim head of the science department at PDS, Dr. Leon (Lee) Rosenberg, to talk about what our science departments were doing and see if we could start a larger conversation about the future of science education in our respective schools. more

Interview by Laurie Pellichero | Photos courtesy of The Lewis School

Describe the mission and campus of The Lewis School of Princeton.

Like the town of Princeton, The Lewis School is both traditional and progressive. We are housed in a 100-year-old mansion, but our learning canvas is the town. We’ve visited Princeton Plasma Physics Lab to advance our STEM program, and we’ve hosted artistic events at various locations in Princeton. We use the YMCA for our physical education classes and Princeton University gym for our athletics programs. We also use the many cafes and ice cream parlors for special celebrations in our Lewis Community! more

Interview by Taylor Smith | Photographs courtesy of Chapin School

What is the history of the Chapin School and where is it located?

Chapin School was founded by Francis Chapin, a woman dedicated to educating children. In the beginning, she taught reading in her home at 23 Chambers Street, Princeton. Francis Chapin’s contribution as an educator in the Princeton community grew, and so did school enrollment. In 1958, Chapin School moved to its current location at 4101 Princeton Pike. This location offered Chapin students exceptional options for learning then and it continues to do so today. Chapin proudly fulfills its mission to provide a richly-textured education that inspires academic achievement and builds strength of character.

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By Donald Gilpin | Photos by Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics

Rutgers is embarking on its fifth year in the Big Ten Conference, and Athletic Director Pat Hobbs, in his third season with the Scarlet Knights, has a clearly defined goal in sight: the creation of a championship culture. Hobbs refers to his “five-year turnaround plan,” which he adopted when he arrived in November 2015, and he looks forward to exciting developments on the field, in the classroom, and in the institution as a whole as Rutgers’ impact on the Big Ten and the Big Ten’s impact on Rutgers continue to grow in the coming years. “One of the reasons I was attracted to the job was because Rutgers is now part of the Big Ten Conference,” says Hobbs, who had previously served as law school dean and athletic director at Seton Hall University.

The challenges are formidable, and the past two and a half years, on the field and off, have been difficult. In addition to overall winning percentages at just around .250 (about three losses for each win) in conference play since 2014, Hobbs also inherited a program afflicted by various scandals entangling two previous athletic directors, football players dismissed from the team for alleged criminal conduct, a suspended head coach, and more.

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