Parent Letter to Board of Education on Zoom Access
The following is an email provided to BHCW from Berkeley Heights Resident and Parent Michael Leblond to the Berkeley Heights Board of Education on the 04/15/2024 Meeting. Dear members of the Berkeley Heights Board of Education, I read about the meeting this past Monday night, the actions taken by the Berkeley Heights Board of Education both astounded and disappointed as...
CMS Students Want the Tiger Back
Helen Gabara Without many in the community realizing it, the school they graduated from, Columbia Middle School had its mascot changed from the Tiger to the Highlander. It was done late last school year by the new principal, Mr. Kobliska, who was handed a survey done by the previous principal, under the former Superintendent Melissa Varley. At the announcement of...
Resident Letter to BOE on Courtesy Busing
The following is an email provided to BHCW from Berkeley Heights Resident and Parent Michael Leblond to the Berkeley Heights Board of Education. Dear members of the Berkeley Heights Board of Education, Like many of the issues that have plagued this district for years, the bussing discussion continues to revolve around one main problem, secrecy. Instead of releasing all the...
Resident Comments on Tree Ordinance & New Rules on Correspondence to the Town Council
The following email was sent to BHCW for publication by Steven Kark, Berkeley Heights Resident I want my neighbor to keep his trees the way they are. He wants to cut some of them down. So we had a little discussion and this is what happened. I told him that 3 friends of mine think that the trees are good for...
Parent Expresses Concerns About BHPSNJ Superintendent’s Social Media Post
The following is an email provided to BHCW from Berkeley Heights Resident and Parent Ekin Najarian to Dr. Varley and the Berkeley Heights Board of Education. Dr. Varley / Whitfield: Just as your approval for your extended leave before your resignation was approved, you posted a unique image and caption on your Facebook page which was shared with me. I...
Resident Expresses Concerns on Potential BHPSNJ OPMA Violations and BOE Meeting Calendar
We received the following email chain for publication from Resident Matthew Behne regarding a potential Open Public Meetings Act violation on the part of the District, along with what was missing information on BOE Meetings on the District Website. The email starts with a message to the Berkeley Heights Public School Business Administrator: Good Afternoon Mr. Juskiewicz, Ms. Varley, and...
Truth v. Tribalism – Lessons Learned
In the three years since the Berkeley Heights Public School District threw a significant part of my child’s IEP out the window, I’ve learned a lot. In hindsight, maybe we should have quietly sued the district. Instead, I became vocal about observations, responses (or lack thereof) from administration, program and curriculum changes, and the doors to real communication being shut....
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...
The Tyranny of the Minority, Part 3
by Steve Greguske In Part 1 we learned that our school has embraced the New Jersey Department of Education’s transgender guidance. To summarize, we learned that the Department has deliberately inserted school districts between the parents and their children if a child voices a gender concern. Per the Department, any statement made by the child is to be taken...
The Tyranny of the Minority, Part 2
– Steve Greguske In Part 1 we learned that our school has embraced the New Jersey Department of Education’s transgender guidance. To summarize, in Part 1 we learned that the Department has deliberately inserted school districts between the parents and their children if a child voices a gender concern. Per the Department, any statement made by the child is to...
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