Everyone is Learning From Berkeley Height’s Mistakes…Except for Berkeley Heights
Quick Note on Tomorrow’s Meeting Back in 2021, as BHCW was sort of getting started, I wrote the following in a Tap-Into Op-ed regarding the District’s de-facto settlement with the Union County Prosecutors office on an OPMA violation: I’m looking to dissuade future BOE’s and Superintendents from trampling over the rights of parents and children by making what this BOE and...
Legal Spending and Searchable Attachments for 01/18/2024 Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting
Tomorrow, the BOE will vote on whether to approve another ~$7,000 to the law firm of Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC; total legal spending between four firms comes to ~$11,000 – based on our review. The agenda includes other legal costs as mentioned in yesterday’s article . There is a $1500 settlement on an OPRA case and a $44,000 settlement for some other matter that isn’t clear...
Laura’s Notes: 01/18/2024 Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting Agenda
ELECTIONS The election of the Board President and Vice President will be attempted once again. At the 1/4/24 meeting, no President or Vice President was elected as the Board was tied in a 4-4 split. We were told the vote would be moved to an appointment by the County Superintendent. Several members presented the idea of compromise, which means that...
Update to the Controversy Surrounding Dr. Varley’s Salary Increase
Answers Lead to More Questions I am still waiting for a response from the Board on what should be simple questions about the Superintendent’s Salary Increase. The Board did approve the 2% raise with a vote on June 5th 2023- so let me set the record straight on that issue. So to answer the question I asked in a prior article: Did...
Did Dr. Varley Get a Raise Without a Board Vote?
And why weren’t Berkeley Heights Residents Aware of it? Update on 01/14/2023: The BOE DID Vote on this Increase but there is more to the Story. It appears Dr. Varley got a 2% raise without a vote by the Board of Education. To walk through this, we need to first walk through her contract. If you recall, Dr. Varley...
“Pay The Teachers!”
It was an interesting weekend. Since the controversial Reorganization Meeting, BOE Member Pamela Stanley made several posts on social media outlets with this simple line, claiming that four BOE Members voted down payroll. This connects to a chain of events started by Dr. Varley almost immediately after the meeting that created a great deal of confusion and concern among members of...
The Real Story on How the January Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting Fell Apart
Nothing occurs in a vacuum. The chaos that happened at the most recent Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting was set in place well before any BOE member stepped through the Governor Livingston cafeteria door and, as mentioned in the intro I wrote about Melissa Varley’s letter to staff, it started in the District’s Central Office. There is no longer any question...
Ignorance of Parliamentary Procedure Is Creating Chaos & Harming Our District
Edmund Tom Maciejewski For those of you following Thursday’s Super Chaotic Board of Education Meeting. One thing, regardless of where you stand on Angela Penna forcing this chaotic situation, is that nobody on the board, nor the lawyer nor the administrator understands Robert’s Rules of Order which is what governs the rules of the meeting. Case in point, Sai made...
The Whole Story Behind Agenda Items A and I: Payroll and Ethics
Notes from Laura on the voting at the re-org meeting No Board members voted against agenda item I in an attempt to stop payroll from issuing paychecks on 1/15/24. When the motion to vote was made for resolution I, Board members had an issue with how Agenda Item I was worded. They did NOT have an issue with paying BHPS...
Ms. Penna and Ms. Stanley: Here’s a Compromise
Email John sent to the Board Earlier Today on the President Deadlock: I would be ok with Angela Penna being president if the following occurred: -Committee Memberships need to be approved by a majority vote of the BOE -Committees are taped and provided to the public -The 48 hour rule is removed -The the power of the President is diminished...
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