Game Play is the New Normal
The Berkeley Heights Public School District’s Issues with Releasing Public Records Continues… A while back I wrote a rather difficult-to-follow article that attempted to outline the games being played with OPRA requests (and agendas, and determining which policies need to be followed, and creatively applying how board meetings are run) by our new Business Administrator, Anthony Juskiewicz. I (and others)...
Dipti Khanna for Berkeley Heights BOE President
The following is an email received from Steve Mondragon, Berkeley Heights Resident and Parent, to the County Superintendent Daryl Palmieri in Support of Ms. Khanna for BOE President. Mr. Palmieri’s email address is [email protected] “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”-SocratesIf there has ever been a...
BOE Document Drop for November 2023 & Notes from a Teacher on the October 2023 Drop
Teacher Feedback on October 2023 Drop: We received a response to our October Document drop from an educator in the community pertaining to our questions on whether the BOE interviewed candidates for the Director Position: Hi John, You state in this article that Dr. Varley did the interviewing for the Director of STEAM position (Kelly Curtiss). In one of my graduate-level classes, I...
Questions the Berkeley Heights Board of Education Can Answer in Connection to Dr. Varley’s 2023 Salary Increase
Background: On June 5th, 2023, Dr. Varley received the maximum salary increase allowed in a process divorced from past practice and policy. The increase was not announced to the public, and her salary change slipped into a cluster of positions it had never historically been a part of during the 06/05/2023 BOE Meeting. This was the same year the public...
Correcting Dr. Varley’s Resignation Email
A More Accurate Record of Superintendent Varley’s Four Year Tenure at BHPSNJ Written by an Educator in the District At exactly 10:00am on December 26, 2023 (the day after Christmas), Dr. Melissa Varley resigned as Superintendent of Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Her email covers a list of accomplishments, according to her, during her 4.5 years thus far as Superintendent. Angela...
Dipti Khanna Is The Leader the Berkeley Heights School District Needs
The following is an email received from Jessica Lesperance, Berkeley Heights Resident, to the County Superintendent Daryl Palmieri in Support of Ms. Khanna for BOE President. Mr. Palmieri’s email address is [email protected] Due to the fact that the Berkeley Heights Board of Education was unable to decide on a Board President or Vice President during their last meeting, it is my understanding...
Angela Penna is Not An Option for Board President
-Steven Kark I do not typically share my opinions publicly, but I am shocked and amazed that Ms. Penna is even being considered for President. How is anyone following our District even considering her as an option? I think it is essential to review her History on the Board. In 2021, she reversed her original position on FDK and voted for an...
Berkeley Heights BOE Document Drop for October 2023
Executive Session and Committee Meeting Minutes and Notes for October 2023 Notes: Policy Committee: Policy 164 was ostensibly revised to avoid surprises for board members. Guess what has been happening in the 2 meetings so far, and it has nothing to do with board members bringing surprises to the meeting. Only the Personnel Committee seems to have spent an extended...
Nothing Occurs in a Vacuum: A Short History Explaining Why The Berkeley Heights BOE Needs So Much Repair
The current Berkeley Heights Board of Education didn’t magically arrive where they are now. There have been a series of events and actions that have led to the situation that exists today, and while one could argue for going back decades, to this author a majority of influences began with the early extension of Dr. Varley’s contract and the reconfiguration...
Dipti Khanna for President of the Berkeley Heights Board of Education
The following is an email received from Geetha Ghai, Berkeley Heights Resident, to the County Superintendent Daryl Palmieri in Support of Ms. Khanna for BOE President. Mr. Palmieri’s email address is [email protected] Dear Mr. Palmieri, I am a long time resident of Berkeley Heights, NJ and my children went through this school system. Recently, I have noticed that there is a...
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