Valentine's Work Gains More Recognition

Montclair Kimberley Academy Upper School Assistant Head of Campus Stephen Valentine is no stranger to media attention.

An English teacher and author who has had several works published, including academic articles, poetry and, in 2009, the well-received book Everything But Teaching, Valentine is also a film maker whose films have screened in numerous film festivals and taken home prizes for Best Documentary and Director’s Choice awards.

Last fall, Valentine’s article “Revitalize the Advising Program, Revitalize the School” was published in Independent School magazine. The article, which examined a framework through which a school could study and improve its own advising system, and effectively articulated the “value added” factor of an independent school education in times of economic hardship, has recently been re-circulated by the prestigious Klingstein Centre at Teachers College, Columbia University, in their online journal Klingbrief.  Describing Valentine’s work as “a practical and inspiring article,” Klingbrief recommends articles, websites and books selected by and for independent school educators nationwide.

Valentine’s selection is particularly impressive because there are some prominent names on the Klingbrief list, including education notables Robert Evans, Alfie Kohn, and one of the leading researchers in the field, Robert Marzano.  Valentine notes, “I’m proud that an article that essentially just describes MKA’s habit of continual self examination and our continual quest for improvement would garner this kind of attention.  It’s a small validation that we are both doing the right things for our students and that we are uniquely situated to serve our families well, both now and in the future.”