The Spindoctors, I mean 6-member “we will never agree with or listen to Ms. Akiri or Dr. Foregger, even when they make sense or have done their homework” bloc (D’Aquila, Penna, Cianciulli, Stanley, Young and Hyman) of Board members, are at it again.
This is simple, like elementary-level undersanding required, so let me spell out the facts for you;
- The Board meetings have always had a livestream function, which are then uploaded to YouTube.
- During the pandemic, the Board meetings switched to Zoom.
- Right when public participation was at it’s peak, Mr. Reinstein and Mr. D’Aquila along with Dr. Varley made the decision – without consulting anyone else – to stop Zoom and to resume the livestream July 2021.
- The overwhelming request from the public, and even several Board members, between July and Setpember of 2021 lead Mr. Reinstein to form a Board committee to discuss bringing back Zoom.
- I was a member of this 8-person committee which included 1 Administrator, 3 Board members, 1 teacher and 3 parents.
- The group unamiously decided the hybrid Zoom meeting model was the best to ensure everyone who wanted to be inovled in Board meetings had the opportunity. The one problem was we needed to upgrade our equipment to deal with the techinical issues the ‘Pandemic Zoom Model’ had. I’m still not sure what was spent but discussions surrounding cost were in the “thousands.”
- From October 2021 through the present, at almost every single Board meeting, there was discussion regarding when the Hybrid Zoom Board meetings would resume. The answer, each and every time, “when the equipment arrived.”
- August 2022 – the equipment is here! (I can’t confirm this, but the August 14 Board meeting was on Zoom so, let’s have fun and assume that it just arrived).
- August 14, 2022, Ms. Akiri asks when we will start the hybrid model so those at home could participate and she is told by Mr. D’Aquila that we will not be having hybrid meetings. Mr. Cianciulli chimes in and they both comment that our meetings will be run like Town Council (no, we have never tried to model them, so this comment was a little bizarre.)
If you’re thinking, “wow this is ridiculous” then you are spot on.
I emailed the Board this morning but, I am one of those “blacklisted” parents who seldom receives a reply so, let’s see.
Further Reading: THE BERKELEY HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT’S 12-MONTH PATH TO LESS INPUT AND ENGAGEMENT
2 thoughts on “BOARD ZOOM MEETINGS”