Board of Education Turnover Continues in Berkeley Heights
Seven Board of Education members have decided not to run for reelection since Dr. Melissa Varley took the helm at BHPS -Written by an Educator in the Community According to “Union County Votes,” the official election website of our county, two Berkeley Heights Board of Education (BOE) members are not running for reelection this year. As of the filing deadline,...
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...
Feedback From A Subscriber on “The Tyranny of the Minority” Series
Normally we do not allow anonymous articles but I received feedback from a subscriber that I appreciated for several reasons: (1) It wasn’t unhinged and did not devolve into personal attacks (2) It presented facts in stating a point (3) It offered a differing perspective respectfully without demand for censorship (4) My name is on this, so technically not anonymous...
The Retirement That Wasn’t
Marybeth Kopacz, the now-former Assistant Superintendent of BHPS, ends up in Roxbury Township Schools as Supervisor -Written by an Educator in the Community The “retirement” of Berkeley Heights Public Schools (BHPS) Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education and Intervention Marybeth Kopacz was one of six administrators to depart BHPS for various reasons over four months (April-July 2023). However, the departure of...
The Tyranny of the Minority, Part 2
– Steve Greguske In Part 1 we learned that our school has embraced the New Jersey Department of Education’s transgender guidance. To summarize, in Part 1 we learned that the Department has deliberately inserted school districts between the parents and their children if a child voices a gender concern. Per the Department, any statement made by the child is to...
A Quick Dive into the Latest High School Rankings
Governor Livingston High School Falls First in Dollars Spent, Last in Rankings -Written by an Educator in the Community Earlier this week, U.S. News and World Reports released their “Best New Jersey High School rankings” for 2023. The ranking methodology includes college readiness (30%), state assessment proficiency (20%), state assessment performance (20%), underserved student performance (10%), college curriculum breadth (10%),...
The Tyranny of the Minority Part 1
-Steve Greguske This article is the first of several articles that will take you on a journey into an environment where kindness and critical thinking are discouraged. The journey begins by googling the following phrase: New Jersey Department of Education Transgender Guidance for Schools You will find a seven-page PDF document with the stated purpose to “…create an inclusive environment...
Lack of Math Supervisor Leaves Berkeley Heights Public Schools Leaderless in a Key Content Area
Berkeley Heights is the only school district in the area with no administrative oversight for mathematics students, teachers, courses, and curriculum. -Written by an Educator in the Community Berkeley Heights Public Schools (BHPS) no longer has a math supervisor. The role of a math supervisor, particularly at Governor Livingston High School (GLHS) and Columbia Middle School (CMS), was essential to...
Berkeley Heights Public Schools Lacks a World Language Program in Chinese (or Asian) Studies
Where is the “inclusion” and “diversity”? – An Educator in the Community Shares A Second Article on our World Languages Program Berkeley Heights Public Schools (BHPS) is the only surrounding district that does not have – nor considers – a Chinese/Asian World Language program for high school students. Following up on the first article where Columbia Middle School (CMS) students...
Parent Questions to Dr. Varley on Cuts to Subscription Busing
Decision on cuts made by BOE Finance Committee –Margit Pedraza On August 3, 2023, I, along with other parents, received an email informing us that subscription busing is being cancelled for CMS, MKM and MP for the upcoming school year. I was truly disappointed and frustrated by this decision given the added hardship it places on parents especially me as...
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