Laura’s Notes on the 04/30/2024 Town Council Meeting
Recognition Town Council recognized the accomplishments and accolades for the Governor Livingston Marching Band and the Varsity and JV Ice Hockey teams. West Side Drainage Project There was a public presentation of the project with is multi-phased and has a price tag of $1.5-2 million dollars upon completion of the project. (check website for when presentation becomes available). Debt Analysis You can see the...
Laura’s Notes on the 04/24/2024 BOE Meeting
4/24/24 BOE Meeting Recap Mr. Nixon is proving to the community what many already knew – he is an effective, mindful and respectable leader. It was a productive, albeit long, meeting with healthy civil discourse that, for the most part, stayed on topic. Jordan Hyman and Angela Penna were absent from the meeting. Budget Presentation and Discussion The BA, Asst....
Follow Up on Teacher Concerns Regarding Summer Curriculum Writing Rates
I published an article before the 4/18/24 Board meeting regarding a sidebar agreement with the BHEA proposing a flat $50/hour rate for summer curriculum writing. (Sidebar Agreement Article) Several teachers had contacted BHCW unhappy with this sidebar agreement noting that curriculum writing has always been paid a per diem rate – a rate based upon a simple equation based upon...
A Response to John’s Articles & Possible Solutions to the Transportation Dilemma.
A response to John’s articles and two possible solutions to the transportation dilemma: Universal Bussing or No Bussing! The bussing issue cannot and will not be resolved through any process to differentiate eligibility based upon household income. Although some equations based on income and children per household would make the process fairer, they are not equitable ways to establish policies...
The Courtesy Busing Vote & Where We Can Go From Here
Berkeley Heights Still Has Time to Fix This The transportation discussion within the BHPS District is multifaceted and, at the same time, all-over-the-place. There are underlying issues and some serious concerns on both sides of the spectrum that need to be addressed and properly understood. Concerns of safety are legitimate; no one in their right mind would argue that safety shouldn’t be at the forefront of discussions surrounding...
Berkeley Heights Educators Express Concerns About Sidebar Agreement
Laura’s Notes on the 04/18/2024 Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting Education: B. Approve Sidebar Agreements (Attachment H). This resolution is for the pay rate of $50/hour for summer curriculum writing. We have heard from several educators who are opposed to this sidebar agreement as the pay for summer curriculum writing was at a per diem rate. To better understand how per...
4/10/24 Board Meeting Recap, Series On Superintendent Search Firms
The first in a Series on Superintendent Search Firms that Presented during the 04/10/2024 Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting McPherson & Jacobsen Fee for services are $18,500 BHPS team will be comprised of Dr. Ralph Ferrie (former BHPS middle school Principal) not present) and Dr. Karen D’Avino (who presented an overview on the firm). Dr. D’Avino did tell the group that...
Laura’s Notes on the 04/10/2024 Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting Agenda
The April 10 Board meeting will begin at 6:45PM. The purpose of this meeting is solely to interview 3 Superintendent search firms (in addition to NJSBA which was interviewed earlier this year). The search firms are: McPherson & Jacobson, Kathleen Helewa Educational Consultants and 4M Consulting. The interviews are slated to be conducted from 7-8:30PM allowing for 30 minutes for...
Re-framing the BHPSNJ Transportation Discussion
In 2023, all Chatham Public Schools pushed their start times forward, allowing students to get more rest. The following start and end times were implemented September 2023: Early Childhood Centers 8:55 am – 3:25 pm Elementary 9:00 am – 3:30 pm Middle 7:55 am – 2:30 pm High School: 8:20 am – 3:00 pm In Ridgewood, the Board recently approved...
Response from District on Mice at Governor Livingston
Teachers and Students have informed us of a mouse infestation at Governor Livingston. We reached out to the District with the following questions: (1) What is the severity of the issue (2) What is the cause of the issue (3) What steps have been taken to remedy the situation (4) What steps are being taken to ensure the health and...
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