This Administration Is A Disaster

Apr 20, 20236 Comments

Berkeley Heights Public Schools Rankings and Ratings Remain Problematic

Perhaps we wouldn’t be on a fiscal cliff if the hands that rock the cradle put a little more focus on graduation rates and higher proficiency scores in math and science and a little less focus on stacking their offices with assistants and paying lawyers.

Berkeley Heights projected cost per pupil is the highest in the area; however, our rankings are the lowest – why? patch.com recently published its first NJ public school ranking since 2020.

Only districts in which data was submitted were ranked. The ranking scores comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and take into account cost per pupil. Neighboring schools (specifically New Providence, Millburn and Chatham) scored an average grade of B+ to A, Berkeley Heights scored an average grade of 64 or an D- which is basically a failure, but I don’t think we can call people failures anymore because it might mess with their self-esteem.

The ranking occurs as schools are grouped based on configuration and grade levels served. Areas that are considered include graduation rates and proficiency in core classes. Schools were given rankings using a scale of 1-100. The “scores” are based on graduation rates and proficiencies. The “ratings,” however, are based on how one school with a specific age group compares with other schools that serve the same grouping of students.

Governor Livingston High School received a score of 58.77 and received a ranking of 61.94.

Columbia Middle School received a score of 68.11 and a ranking of 74.76.

Thomas P. Hughes received a score of 57.99 and a ranking of 61.42.

Mountain Park School received a score of 64.56 and received a ranking of 70.06.

Over the past few years, the focus of this BOE has been wrangling with the public on the use of District dollars on lawyers in defending a Superintendent that has botched a reconfiguration, what is still a disastrous new approach to math, and a model implementation to special needs students that appears to be in name only.

Parents, Teachers, and Students need to start asking hard questions.

It may be time that, as a District, we begin to ask hard questions about the value this Superintendent and the Central Administrative class that supports her bring to this District.

It may also be time to question whether removing the Budget from a public vote was the right decision.