The BOE Majority is Starting to Pour Concrete into the Pipes Before a New Board Takes Office
ADMINISTRATION
A: DISTRICT BYLAWS/POLICIES/REGULATIONS – FIRST READING
How much of these policy changes are about the kids? My takeaway is that these policy changes are about self-preservation and keeping the power in the current BOE majority. Any organization that seeks to inhibit the free speech, actions, and thoughts of elected officials should consider the message it sends to those it serves and if that message is keeping in line with the organization’s goals.
0164 Conduct of Board Meeting
The Agenda “shall be delivered to each Board member whenever possible, no later than one day before the meeting.” However, new to this Policy is that “no item may be placed on the agenda and/or raised at the public meeting under “Old Business” or “new Business” unless the Board Member has provided at least forty-eight (48) hours advanced written notice of the items he/she desires to discuss or raise.” This new language restricts the free speech of Board Members and does not allow for open discussion regarding agenda items. It also prohibits business arising during meetings to be “considered, motioned, or voted upon.”
0143 Board Member Election and Appointment
This new Policy still does not provide guidance about which of the 5 reasonable scenarios in filling a vacancy will occur following said vacancy. All five possibilities relinquish responsibility for fulfillment to the County Superintendent or the Board – and does not require any public interview – it allows for the entire process to be kept in secrecy. In the end this could mean no election and a spun version of how an interview went without any public access to questions and answers involving a process that selects government representatives.
0148 Board Member Indemnification
The new language reads that “for exemplary or punitive damages is not required.” This is significant because, as of last year, the Board filed ethics charges against a fellow Board member and opened up a ton of ethical violations for themselves by doing so. Per the Policy, the Board is also responsible for paying legal fees for its members when they are in the middle of litigation or under investigation. This new language allows the Board to deny its members funding for their legal representation.
1540 Administrators’ Code of Ethics
“Each Administrator shall possess the qualifications required by law and shall be bound by the provisions of the School Ethics Act” has been eliminated. “Immediate family” is now defined as the “dependent child” of the administrator residing in the same household instead of “children.” This new language supports our Administrators engaging in Nepotism as long as their child no longer lives with them.
PERSONNEL
A. Approve Appointment of Director of Steam: Kelly Curtiss at an annual salary of $149,000.
F. Approve Appointment of a .5 FTE 10-month Confidential Administrative Assistant: Jamie Salmon will be paid $19,831.50 starting October 13. Unsure if this is another confidential administrative assistant for Dr. Varley or the Business Administrator.
O. Create 1.0 FTE Paraprofessional Position: at Hughes school
Q. Approve Reassignment of Personnel: Haley Smith is leaving MKM as she has been named the new Math Specialist at Woodruff School.
V. Approve Resignation of Staff: Suzana Porzio (school social worker from MKM) and Sandra Reyes (paraprofessional from MP).
BUSINESS
F. Approve Landscape Fertilization and Weed Control Services: in the amount of $76,692 for all six schools. This is certainly needed for the non-turf fields, but it seems a relatively high price to pay, coming off several supervisor and teaching positions eliminated last spring. Should the district look into xeriscaping?
J. Approve Administrative Programs: iReady has an annual price tag of $74,058.50!
K. Approve Web Hosting Services: the new hosting service for the district website is costing the district $21,200
Side Notes
I pay attention to what staff members attend professional development opportunities and at what cost to the district. Before anyone jumps on this because anyone is allowed to – I have to consider the cost and benefit of these professional development opportunities for our students. For the most part, the nearly 50 professional development opportunities our staff are being approved to participate in cost the district about $1,000.
Compare that to …
Giordano’s attendance at AASA Conference 2/14 – 2/18 $4,000
Varley’s attendance at AASA Conference 2/14 – 2/17 $2,550
On the agenda for this week:
Hopkin’s attendance at AASA Conference 2/14 – 2/17 $3,800
Does this look right to you?
These three attendances by our top Administrators to the AASA conference, plus the Board’s attendance at the NJSBA conference ($5,000) cost the district $15,350.
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