On Wednesday, May 9 the five mayors from the communities that make up the regional school district and the Patch editors that cover that district will be part of a meeting that has nothing to do with deregionalization or funding formulas.

It will be a faculty meeting.

As part of the Teacher for a Day program, Chester Township Mayor Bill Cogger, Chester Borough Mayor Bob Davis, Mendham Borough Mayor Neil Henry, Mendham Township Mayor Sam Tolley, Washington Township Mayor Ken Short, Long Valley Patch editor Jason Koestenblatt and Mendham-Chester Patch editor Russ Crespolini will be some of temporary faculty shaping young minds at West Morris Central High School. 

"The purpose of Teacher for a Day is to bring local community leaders into classrooms to experience all or part of a typical teacher’s day," said Joyce Hartmann, the West Morris Regional Education Association President. "The goal of the program is to make all local citizens, through the experiences of a number of invited residents, better aware of what today’s students and schools are all about."

Also scheduled to participate is Regional Board of Education President Cristin Forrester and community members Anna Gomez, Patti Gonsky, Linda Guldner and Leslie Mull.

Chester Township Mayor Bill Cogger said he was thrilled with the opportunity and was working on his lesson plan well in advance of the date. While Mendham Borough Mayor Neill Henry wasn't quite as ahead in his lesson planning, he wasn't nervous about the time in front of the class.

"No, I've taught CCD and I have been speaking as part of local government for a long time," Henry said. "And I am looking forward to seeing what a day for a teacher is like."

While your local Patch editors are spending their day participating in this program, you can help celebrate local teachers who make a difference in our children's lives by sending your story about your favorite teacher to Russ Crespolini and Jason Koestenblatt. You can also tell us in the comments OR upload a photo with caption to this story.

In addition to the Patch participation in Teacher for a Day, the New Jersey Department of Education is also looking for stories of outstanding teachers:

• Teacher Memory: This is a new feature of the state’s website where New Jersey residents can submit a memory of their favorite teacher, either past or present. These memories will be reflected on the Department’s website to demonstrate the important contribution that teachers make in each of our lives, even many years later. http://education.state.nj.us/feature/
• Teacher Spotlight: Each month, the Department will feature a different outstanding New Jersey teacher to recognize and reward their contribution in the classroom. The first teacher to be featured in this series is New Jersey Teacher of the Year – Jeanne DelColle. http://education.state.nj.us/feature/spotlight/12/05.php

A great teacher can change the course of many lives. Tell us about a teacher who changed your life or those of your children. And check back for updates on how our return to high school went.