Letter From the Berkeley Heights Education Association To Dr. Varley and the BOE

Another Factor Impacting the BHPSNJ Teacher Retention Issues Under Dr. Varley

While Schools across NJ are having issues keeping staff, BHPSNJ’s issue are a level above in yet another lottery no one wants to win. As BHCW has demonstrated in prior articles, we can make hard, straight lines on this issue to the many decisions made by this Superintendent and the BOE Majority to what has been a mass exodus of staff.

If Ms. Penna and her bloc on the BOE bothered even to consider the research that existed on this topic before going along with everything Dr. Varley suggests, maybe we wouldn’t be in the position we are in today.

The BHEA first expressed concerns about Dr. Varley’s leadership during the circus act leading to the reconfiguration (which also contributed significantly to our declines).

As a result of an OPRA request, we obtained this letter from the BHEA to Dr. Varley and are sharing it with the community, as parents should be aware of the kind of decisions being made at Gold Base behind closed doors.

Now, if this letter is accurate, understand what this means. We are paying more to recruit NEW teachers who will need time to transition to their new role while losing experienced teachers. Again, if we were to consider the research on this area, we are paying more for a strategy that has demonstrated a negative impact on student success.

The results indicate that students in grade levels with higher turnover score lower in both English language arts (ELA) and math and that these effects are particularly strong in schools with more low-performing and Black students. Moreover, the results suggest that there is a disruptive effect of turnover beyond changing the distribution in teacher quality. (source)

​ Why?  

It has become clear to us that many significant decisions made by the Superintendent prioritize politics and fashion, so it is fair to ask about the motivations behind bringing in so many new people, given the potential negative impact on our students. At the same time, little to no attention appears to be given on retaining teachers with years of experience in our classrooms.

We hope the BHEA was able to get a resolution to the concerns expressed below.

Dr. Varley, Julie Kott and Members of the Berkeley Height Board of Education:

We hope that this letter finds each of you well, and we thank you for your time and effort working on behalf of the students and staff in the Berkeley Heights educational community. We are writing to you because of a serious concern that we have. As public-school employees, we are well aware of the shortage of teachers and other school employees across the state and country. We also believe that all districts should be doing their best to attract and retain the best for our students. However, we have concerns about whether the District’s recent hiring practice of teachers, and other school employees is approached fairly and equitably. Additionally, we have similar concerns relative to the implementation of district policy 3411 – “Placement On The Salary Guide.” The BHEA would like the opportunity to work with you to resolve these issues.

 

Recently, the District began hiring people beyond their years of experience, thus surpassing those who have worked in the district for many years. Though this approach may allow the District to fill much-needed positions, it creates a level of unnecessary discord and disillusionment among those who have spent their careers serving Berkeley Heights students’ needs. Furthermore, the BHEA is noticing that it is eroding the morale of dedicated career employees and current newly hired staff alike. This is a real problem.

 

Our career school employees’ experience and education provide evidence of their value. Their value, as it relates to their experience, cannot be understated nor should it be undervalued, which is exactly what occurs when the district engages in this type of hiring practice. This hiring practice enables staff with fewer years of service to our district to achieve higher earnings than those who have dedicated themselves long term to our district. Moreover, our current staff have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and countless crisis situations to provide care and support to Berkeley Heights students as well as their families. This is an issue that must be addressed.

 

We find the inconsistency in the recent hiring practices both troublesome and disheartening. To be clear, we are not looking to take any salary or benefit away from our peers. The staff in our district have been very supportive of each other, both professionally and personally, as we navigated the COVID pandemic and all the constantly changing regulations and mandates. We are proud to share that we work together to make the transition from other districts a positive experience for our newest colleagues. Our goal simply is to open discussion and work toward the mutual goal of doing what is best for our district by treating all our teaching staff and other school employees with the respect and appreciation they deserve and to reach a fair and reasonable resolution to this disparity.

 

We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Sincerely,
BHEA Executive Committee

Copy of Email

Read More Articles Concerning the Staff Retention Issues During Dr. Varley’s Term

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