Grover Cleveland Middle School

Caldwell-West Caldwell, New Jersey

A Professional Development School -PDS

in partnership with Montclair State University

Established: September 2002

 07/11/08

Grover Cleveland Middle School, in partnership with Montclair State University, is recognized as a Professional Development School.  Many college juniors and seniors will be attending classes here provided by Montclair State University.  These students will be practice teaching here at our school as well as other schools in the district.  Both our teachers and public school students will be exposed to the most recently developed teaching-learning strategies.  Montclair State University will be also be offering on-site graduate courses for our district teachers.  Grover Cleveland Middle School is the first middle school Professional Development School in the state of New Jersey.

What makes Grover Cleveland Middle School a PDS?

Drive: Teachers who have a sense of excitement about what they do in the classroom. The excitement drives them to excel in their profession.

Willingness: Teachers who go beyond what is expected. They demonstrate a willingness to take on new challenges and a desire to continually renew their commitment to excellence in their profession.

Sense of Responsibility & Stewardship of Best Practice: Teachers who are proud of their accomplishments and the accomplishments of others in their school community.

Desire to Share: Teachers who want to share their knowledge and classrooms with the next generation of teachers as they welcome junior faculty members, and intermediate and initial field students into their classrooms.

Structure & Philosophy: Teachers who practice a child-centered, inquiry-based educational philosophy and who create an educational structure that inspires and encourages others to ask questions, take risks, collaborate, learn.

Laboratory for Learning: Teachers who provide future teachers with a view of what education can be at its very best.

 Check this site for further updates on P.D.S. happenings!