
2022-23 N.J. School Performance Reports Released- Berkeley Heights is Back?
Berkeley Heights Public Schools has one of the largest increases in proficiency ratings among all districts listed, consistent with surrounding districts -Written by an Educator in the Community Each year, the New Jersey Department of Education releases its School Performance Report. According to its release on Patch.com, “school districts are scored from 0 to 100 based on factors like standardized...

What Berkeley Heights Residents Should Know About “the Line”
What is “the Line”? The Line refers to an inherent Ballot design structure unique to NJ that lists candidates according to an endorsed slate versus according to the office they seek. A typical primary ballot design in other states lists candidates according to the office they are seeking, for example, Nevada and Delaware: This is what a NJ Primary Ballot...

Dr. Foregger’s Response on Transportation Policy & Process
Will the Committee Chair Change Course Before it is too Late? A third Berkeley Heights Board of Education member has replied to BHCW’s questions about the Policy Committee’s transportation policy and the process surrounding its development with concerns. As indicated in prior articles, BHCW emailed the BOE the following questions: Are there plans to share the rubric and data driving...

Second Berkeley Heights BOE Member Expresses Serious Concerns on Courtesy Busing
Closed Door Meetings with No Supporting Data A second BOE member indicated that the Policy Committee still has not released the data driving the decisions related to streets designated as ” hazardous” in the transportation policy and continues to make decisions in closed-door sessions. This is important as the lack of criteria is the main criticism of Courtesy busing, which...

BHPSNJ BOE Policy Committee Holding Closed Door Meetings without Data on Transportation Policy
BOE Member Sai Akiri’s Response to Questions on Transportation On 03/28/2024, I emailed the Berkeley Heights BOE The following questions: Are there plans to share the rubric and data driving the scoring that led to the hazardous road designations by the consultants-with the public? Will there be a period of time when public input is sought on those designations? Can...

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...

Ms. Nardi On Superintendent Search During 03/18/224 BOE Meeting
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A More Transparent and Substantive Discussion on the BHPSNJ Budget is the Next Step to Calmer Waters
John’s Notes on the 03/18/2024 Budget Discussions There were two disturbing discussions during last night’s BOE Meeting. One related to transportation, where the policy committee expects the Board to accept a policy on the highly controversial and secretive practice of Courtesy busing without the rubric or data to support a new policy. This article will focus on the Budget. I...

Did the Former Berkeley Heights BOE Majority Get Acquitted of an Ethics Violation by Admitting They Broke the Law?
Let me explain. On March 22, 2022, current BOE Member and former BOE President Angela Penna co-published what we now know to be an inaccurate letter to the editor in response to Sai Akiri’s condemnation of the budget process. This letter was not only quickly debunked but it resulted in an ethics complaint against the publishers of the letter by a resident and parent...

NJ Is Rallying to Stop State Sen. Sarlo’s & Assemblyman Danielsen’s Age of Darkness
NJ Is Rallying to Stop State Sen. Sarlo and Assemblyman Danielsen from Destroying the Open Public Records Act Since discovering that Sen. Sarlo has teamed up with Assemblyman Danielsen to usher in a new age of Darkness through a second attempt to gut OPRA, organizations in NJ are rallying a defense. We first want to credit Krystal Knapp and the Jersey Vindicator for breaking...