1) Here is a letter to parents while he has been at Sussex County Technical School from Mark R. Toback, Ed D. on the AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) standard from No Child Left Behind Act:
"I am pleased to notify you that Sussex County Technical School made AYP as defined under the No Child Left Behind Act this past year. Our students made significant progress. We passed 40 of 40 indicators."
http://www.sussex.tec.nj.us/files/nclb_letter_superintendent.pdf
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| Sussex County Vocational School 2010 AYP Status under Mark R. Toback |
2) Mark has his own brief Wikipedia page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sussex_County_Vocational_School_District
3) Here is a quote from Mark R. Toback on the performance of Sussex County Schools:
14 schools in Sussex County not up to par with state testing standards
From NJ Herald
http://www.njherald.com/story/news/23AYPRESULTS-web
"In Sussex County, failure to meet benchmark targets in special education is what kept the majority of the schools from meeting the requirements.
Sussex County Technical School Superintendent Mark Toback said the only area where the school failed to meet the requirements was in special education. Toback said it's important to understand what's behind the data. "It's fairly common," he said. "You have to realize that we take in a higher percentage of special education students compared to other schools in the county. Really, when you look at it, it's only a few students. It doesn't mean we are a bad school. Compared to other technical schools across the state, Sussex Tech stacks up pretty well."
- Mark R. Toback
4) This link shows that Mark had served as Business Administrator/Board Secretary for Leona Public Schools. I don't know if he currently serves in that as a secondary job or if that was in the past.
http://tripatlas.com/Leonia_Public_Schools
'Mark Toback, Ed.D.' - Business Administrator/Board Secretary
5) This Shows that a position similar in type and location that Mark R. Toback is at is already being shopped as of November 15. 2010 via simplyhired.com:
http://www.simplyhired.com/job-id/gnroohguvy/administration-jobs/
6) Here is a description of the Leonia Middle School where Mark was once principal. His background shows that he was once principal at an ethnically diverse school such as the situation that is Hoboken's public schools.
http://www.localschooldirectory.com/public-school/54704/NJ
Leonia Middle School Overview
Leonia Middle School enrolls 450 middle school students from grades 6-8. It is located in Leonia, NJ, which is a medium sized city with a predominantly White community and a median household income of $72,440. This school is part of the Leonia Borough School District, which has a total student enrollment of 1,725.
The principal, Mark Toback, oversees the school's faculty and staff, including thirty-seven full-time "equivalent" teachers serving the student body with an average student teacher ratio of 12.2. There is a diverse racial makeup at this school, with Whites being the largest group, making up forty-one percent of the student body.
Being eligible for a Title I program, this school has access to state and federal assistance to help low-income and at risk students. Also, about nine percent of the students can obtain lunch for free or at a reduced cost.
7) Freeholders demand resignations over superintendent's raise (Toback's)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/05/freeholders_demand_tech_school.html
Pladdys said the board has been pleased with Toback's job performance since he was hired two years ago at a salary of $135,000.
Toback serves as superintendent and principal, and was in the second year of a three-year contract. The board canceled the third year and instead gave him a four-year pact that would bring his pay more in line with other tech school superintendents in New Jersey, who on average earn $174,000, Pladdys said.
"We thought so much of Mark we renewed him," Pladdys said. "In the overall scheme of things, he has saved a lot of money administratively. We wanted to bring him up to parity with other tech schools in the state."
My comment: I can't blame Mark if the previous board (not Hoboken) gave him too generous of a contract in the opinions of the freeholders. It seems like the board saw his value and wanted to bring his salary in line competitively.
That's all for now folks. I am sure there will be more to come on this finalist's background. If he gets hired I wish Mark Toback all the best in improving our public schools given the obstacles that are in place. ◦
