Gale Bradford’s Educational Platform Statement
Candidate Response BOE Election 2022 BHCW emailed BOE Candidates requesting a platform statement based on a request from a resident in our discussion forum. We are pleased to provide you with Gale Bradford’s response: I believe the Berkeley Heights Board of Education needs an experienced professional educator as a member. I have been a special education teacher for 35 years...
A Statement from Candidate Hemann Regarding the Most Recent BOE Proceedings
In the past months, during which I decided to make a run for one of the open seats on the BOE, I have chosen – likely to the detriment of my “campaign” – to remain quiet, especially in the public sphere, on many of the topics washing across this page. I never wanted my candidacy to be centered on what...
BOE Candidate Running As The Parent’s Voice Attempts to Take Down Parent’s Letter…Again
In what is a long-standing practice of some BOE members, resident letters holding BOE members accountable are often taken down; usually one or two hours after being published. The reason for this, I believe, is for the letter to get spread and then taken down as a way of undermining the individual’s credibility. Usually, the objections are ridiculous, and the...
Challenger Champion Sai
John Leo Jr. Endorses Sai Akiri I love disagreements. Nothing could be more fruitful than that middle ground where two people don’t completely agree or vehemently disagree. Disagreement can yield results. It’s the playing field of productive discussion. The people I support for leadership roles usually fall in this category. Because I know I can challenge their ideas and they...
Angela Penna’s Candidate Statement v. Reality
I recently published a piece titled People Before Politics. In the spirit of meaningful slogans, I feel the need to discuss the misnomer of another slogan, “passion for education,” recently coined by a BOE candidate running for re-election. It’s a great slogan, don’t get me wrong – but it’s been three years, and I haven’t seen any passion for education...
OPMA & OPRA: WE SHOULD FEARLESSLY DEMAND TRANSPARENCY
After listening to the BOE meetings in the first quarter of 2022, I was curious to learn more about the discussions in the Board’s Executive Sessions. So I sent an OPRA request for the Executive Session minutes from Nov 2021 to March 2022. The documented minutes from January to March 2022 are virtually identical and without any detail of the...
Dipti Khanna Should Be On the BOE
A degree in Engineering and a career with a top company in a position that demonstrates evidence of all the skills one would want in a BOE Representative – these two qualities alone can be the basis to vote for Dipti. Dipti, however, is more than these two things. Dipti is a mother with children who attend different schools throughout...
School Ethics Commission decision Involving Five BOE Members Moves Case to Office of Administrative Law
Motion to Dismiss filed by BOE Attorney Rejected In It’s Entirety by School Ethics Commission At a meeting of the New Jersey School Ethics Commission (SEC) on October 17th, a decision was rendered on one of the ethics complaints filed against several members of the Berkeley Heights Board of Education. Although some residents would have you believe that a formal...
Update On SEC Matter Involving Superintendent
Earlier today I emailed the Board of Education with regard to the ethics complaint filed against Dr. Varley surrounding allegations of Nepotism. BHCW became aware of this earlier this year when the parent who filed the complaint informed BHCW that the attorneys representing Dr. Varley (board attorneys) were attempting to block her access in a meeting with the OAL Judge...
Reset the Board of Education
With Berkeley Heights elections coming up in just a few weeks on Nov 8, I have been following the Berkeley Heights Board of Education. Recently it has been a chaotic and dysfunctional mess. The majority of the Board members have had ethics complaints filed against them from numerous parents. In addition, Pam Stanley, being funded by the Berkeley Heights...