The Collaborative Model – Part Two
Continuing with Kotter’s Model of Change, let’s take a look at step six: Ensure Short-Term Wins. Below is the list descriptors for this step. Did any of these steps happen? Did we even have short-term goals outlined? Possibly, but that middle step – make progress visible – was an abject failure. We were handed a directive and expected to embrace...
The Collaborative Model – Part One
Is the Berkeley Heights Public School District Maintaining Fidelity to the Model? Inclusion. It’s one of the three principles in DEI. “Include” is one of the three tenets in our district’s slogan. Is our district doing enough, and are the things we’ve done actually helping? It’s an in-depth topic, but this article will attempt to hit the basics without becoming...
Time to Put Student Needs Ahead of Lawyers and Petty Politics
Political Vendettas and Unethical Behaviors are Harming our Students Here’s a little test. Ten months ago, five of our eight BOE members (to be joined by a sixth member a month later) chose to start a chain of actions in bringing about ethics charges against a fellow board member. Those actions resulted in several opposing ethics complaints by town residents....
Shauna’s Notes on 03/30/2023 Berkeley Heights BOE Budget Meeting
Before I get into Shauna’s Notes, I want to thank the families, teachers, and Administrators of Berkeley Heights for showing up to the meeting. Representative Government only works when the rooms where government officials make decisions are full. We finally saw passion from more than a handful of people today, a spirited debate among BOE Members, a split vote, and...
Admin Steps in it Again?
Dr. Varley’s recent email about the AP Class Controversy tells an interesting story. Update: A parent just contacted me to direct me to the last BOE meeting on 3/13. At timestamp 1:32:15 Mrs. Stanley mentions seeing other towns have to cut programs. In response, at timestamp 1:33:05 the Superintendent says, “For 6-12 we have some classes that operate below five,...
A Quick Agenda Overview For the 3/30/2023 Special (Budget) BOE Meeting
Were the Administrative cuts mentioned at the last BOE Meeting nothing more than Smoke and Mirrors? The agenda is out for this coming Thursday’s Board of Education meeting, and it’s notable both for what is being eliminated and what isn’t mentioned. “Effective immediately following June 30, 2023, the following supervisory positions hereby are abolished: a. District Supervisor of Math /...
How Many Administrators Can Fit on a Fiscal Cliff?
After writing about Ms. Kot’s interesting version of why we are nearing a “fiscal cliff,” (just as we are approaching Budget review and approval for the District), I thought it might be helpful to compare the Central Office Staff of New Providence and the Berkeley Heights (NP has approximately the same size district as we do – about 2,400 students...
Fiscal Cliff? Or Money to Burn?
Our financial issues have nothing to do with teachers or special needs students. At the most recent Board of Education meeting on February 9th, there were (as usual) more bits to be talked about that can fit into a single article, so the focus of this one is on the money (no pun intended). Our Business Administrator, Julie Kot, gave...
Eighty-Eight Percent: How The Berkeley Heights School District’s Legal Bills Nearly Doubled in a Year
It’s not entirely possible to pinpoint a single moment in time when things shifted in our school district, but it’s impossible to deny the mistrust and division that has been growing for the past three years. What is a little easier to pinpoint is what has led to a staggering increase in legal bills. Let’s look at how we went...
Peeling the Spin: A Condensed Look at OPRA Requests
There are currently 118 individual screenshots of OPRA (Open Public Records Act) requests, from June 2022 to the present, on the district website. In an effort to parse this out and make it easier to get to the meat of the issue surrounding the appointment of a School Records Custodian, here is a breakdown. Of the 118 posted screenshots, five...
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