Thank You to Our 400+ Community Volunteers!

For more than 30 years, the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence has served the Montclair Public Schools community, cultivating a thriving educational ecosystem that nurtures all 6,000 students in our district. National Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 20 - 26) is the perfect opportunity to thank the community that serves us. 

In 2024, more than 400 students, teachers, administrators, parents, retirees, business leaders, artists, community activists, and other champions of public education gave their time and talents to support MFEE’s work in myriad ways. Some volunteered as drivers to transport students to after-school programs, or as bilingual tutors and teachers. Others served as educational grant liaisons, event volunteers, graphic designers, advisors, or board members. 

“Our volunteers are all heart,” said Masiel Rodriquez-Vars, MFEE’s executive director. “They represent the incredible diversity of Montclair, and our organization would not have the impact it does without their enthusiasm, dedication and shared passion for our work. We’re so grateful to each one of them.”

We are Publicly Proud to spotlight just a few of these generous volunteers:

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Jill Stein

A retired teacher, Stein is also a mother to four Montclair Public Schools graduates! 

She has been volunteering with MFEE for many years. She has used her background as an ESL teacher to help multilingual families navigate our schools through Navegadores Escolares program. And for the past two years, she has served as a grant liaison at her granddaughter’s school, Nishuane Elementary. Each year, MFEE awards $60,000 in grants to Montclair educators, and our team of volunteer liaisons is key to the program’s success. 

Stein said she loved getting to know Nishuane teachers better and collaborating with MFEE’s grant coordinator Kathy Maloy, and leaders of the Nishuane PTA. At the end of the grant process, Stein said: “Teachers were really happy, and that’s the best part.” 

Stein has been a friend to MFEE for many years, hosting Teacher Toasts and attending events. “It feels so good to be a part of an organization that is so authentic and intentional,” she said.    

We are deeply grateful for volunteers like Jill who share their experience and passion for public education with our students, teachers and community. Their impact is immeasurable. 

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Ursula Zoffinger 

A busy parent of two Montclair Public Schools students and a former PTA co-president, Ursula is one of our awesome volunteer drivers. She is unflappable, reliable and always delivers the kids safely with a smile. This small service has an outsize impact on students’ lives, enabling them to access social-emotional support, bilingual tutoring, homework help, and enrichment opportunities. Ursula knows the kids by name, asks about their days, checks in on them, and makes her carpool a point of connection. The kids who hop in her car know how much she cares. 

"Driving students to Oruguitas is truly the highlight of my day -- the kids are always buzzing with excitement at dismissal as they talk about their day at school, and the short drives are always full of laughter, conversation, and music!" Zoffinger said.

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Cham Rand 

A former MFEE board member and executive at Audible, Rand has lived in Montclair for 31 years and his two children attended Montclair Public Schools. He’s returned to his passion for teaching English as a second language to adults as a certified ESL teacher, with a specialization in business English. 

He taught in Japan shortly after college and loved making connections with people from other cultures. For the past few months, he's been teaching ESL to parents of MPS students as part of a pilot program with MFEE. Rand is masterful at adapting the course to the needs and interests of students and creating a warm, engaging learning community. You can often hear many laughs and energetic conversations happening in his class.

“It seems to be helping folks and addressing some specific problems,” Rand said. “The folks are highly motivated, really interesting, wonderful people, and the support from MFEE has been thoughtful and supportive.”

MFEE is so thankful to volunteers like Rand who share their skills and experience to make connections and support our community. 

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Kathy Hurling

Hurling has deep connections with the Montclair Public Schools community. She attended MPS as a student, and she taught 2nd grade at Nishuane for 35 years. For the past several years, she’s served as a member of the independent selection committee that chooses which educators are honored as part of the Judy Weston Awards for Inspiried Teaching, which as administered by MFEE. 

As a longtime educator, Hurling brings her passion for public education and a unique perspective to the joys and challenges of working in Montclair classrooms. When it comes to reading nominations for Weston Award honorees, she said: “I just marvel at the creativity these teachers bring to their craft. It’s remarkable what they’re able to do.” 

Hurling added: “I think it’s important that Montclair continues to strive for greatness. We have such a diverse community. It’s important to make sure that every child is seen, and whose needs could be overlooked in other districts are not overlooked here.” 

We are so grateful to educators like Hurling who bring a deep understanding of teaching to MFEE’s goal of recognizing amazing teachers who support students holistically. Thank you! 

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Alyson Wasko

An AP Environmental Science teacher at Montclair High School, Wasko has been one of MFEE’s most consistent event volunteers! In fact, she has volunteered for all five of our Amazing FundRACERs, recruiting a large posse of volunteers and often supervising the most complex challenges. 

Alyson always keeps a cool head - even when fierce competitors get a little overexcited. She shares a passion for designing the events, and she has contributed many creative ideas to make them a success. 

“I love to volunteer to help out because the events are fun, the people are great, and the benefits to the kids in our schools are second-to-none. As an alum of Montclair Public Schools and a staff member who has been a grant recipient, it’s extra rewarding to get involved in the process however I can,” Wasko said. 

Given all that she does during the school week, we are especially grateful that she’s willing to put in this time to support our events and the organization. Thank you!