But it should be Mrs. Nardi if we insist on having one.
In reality, we don’t need an assistant Superintendent.
But if we are to hire people for these positions, the logical choice would be to select an internal candidate. Someone who knows our District inside out, wants to be here (for the right reasons) and has proven successful. For purposes of this argument, measurable success will come in the means of data and the data supports that we have several candidates who would be a fit for this role, but one in particular that stands out.
The most significant impact of the botched reconfiguration pushed through by Dr. Varley and the Reinstein-Reilly BOE landed on Hughes Elementary. Remember that this considerable change not only meant Hughes would be packed with more students but also occurred on the heels of COVID and along with a the mass transition of teachers.
Despite these challenges, Hughes Elementary experienced the smallest proficiency reductions of the two elementary schools between 2022 and 2023 compared to the 2018-2019 starting point.
In the most recent performance report, Hughes had the highest rates of proficiency in Math and Science among all BHPSNJ schools and met or exceeded objectives in all areas, including ELA. Again, this was all while bearing the most weight of the reconfiguration.
I worked closely with Ms. Nardi for a year as a volunteer and my youngest transferred to Hughes from Woodruff as a result of the reconfiguration. I could discuss the anecdotal evidence of her work ethic and approach to students and families, but I’ll let the objective results speak for themselves.
This brings us to another set of critical questions:
Is the BOE using objective data to evaluate superintendent candidates? Our prior Superintendent’s resume was quite creative, but a little digging revealed that it was nothing but a bad commercial.
Are BOE Members looking at the proficiency scores of ALL the high-level administrators whose decisions touch classrooms?
Are they asking pointed questions on what they will do to contribute to the learning of our students and for the evidence to demonstrate they can get the job done?
