We are cautiously optimistic in the selection of Mr. Nixon as the Acting Superintendent of Berkeley Heights Public Schools.
Our community is seeking stability and leadership from someone who knows our schools, has had the time to develop personal relationships with students and staff, and is looking to run the District well rather than making a name for themselves outside of Berkeley Heights.
If Mr. Nixon does well in this role, the BOE should consider him a longer-term option. Our students have had enough of novel experiments and poorly implemented initiatives with no basis in research and no evidence of working or evidence of making things worse.
We hope that Mr. Nixon will consider re-opening comments on social media and providing the public with materials connected to important topics and honest narratives rather than a steady stream of marketing posts, which has been the practice over the past four years. We also ask that he consider developing a protocol for decision making on curriculum and initiatives that codifies the consideration of broad stakeholder feedback and peer-reviewed research.
We would also ask Mr. Nixon to reflect on and learn from the concerns many parents had about BTC and the feedback he received on his response to parents and the importance of evidence in connection to teaching methods.
While this transition may be temporary- it could also be meaningful.
We wish to echo Ms. Nardi’s remarks that the BOE should approach the Superintendent selection process seriously and choose an individual who values and respects staff, students, and all families.
We would also strongly recommend a Superintendent who prioritizes research and evidence over fashion when making important decisions.
We wish Mr. Nixon well – his success will be our success.
-The BHCW Team
