Minutia Matters- Especially Audits
Why is the BHPSNJ Audit Still Not Available? A recent article on how the Berkeley Heights Superintendent got a raise, in a procedurally incorrect manner and which obscured the action, violating District and State policy along the way, created some much-needed conversation around how the Board of Education operates. I had started looking into audits, based on a different comment...
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...
BOE Member Gale Bradford Questioned On Letter of Support Involving Volunteer Organizations, Elected Officials and Others
Community Member Shares their Email to the Berkeley Heights Board of Education We received several emails and other communication from officers and members of volunteer organizations that support our schools who expressed upset with BOE Member Gale Bradford’s insertion of their organization in a letter of support for Ms. Penna’s Bid for President. We also received similar communication from educators...
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...
“Only the Policies I Agree with Matter & Only the People I Like Are Allowed to Vote”
Berkeley Heights BOE Attorney, Business Administrator, and The Penna Bloc’s Display of Cognitive Dissonance During the 01/04/2023 Re-Org Meeting Several emails were sent to the Business Administrator and Board of Education on how the Agenda violated Board Policies and By-Laws. Despite this prior notice and stated objections to policy violations the Agenda represented, the Business Administrator, Attorney, and the Penna...
The Community Voted For Change & BHPSNJ Administration Can’t Seem to Let Go
With A Split Board, The former Majority May Be Resorting to Desperate Tactics on Day One The Board Agenda for the Re-Organization Meeting has been the same for decades. However, it appears the District is attempting to change the rules to prevent the change the community has voted for in the past three years. Multiple individuals have emailed and called the...
Designed To Fail: Last Year’s BOE Majority Created Conditions For Chaos
Berkeley Heights Residents should pay close attention to this Thursday’s BOE Re-Org Meeting Yesterday, Laura wrote about the BOE Agenda and pointed out some concerning facts surrounding the differences between this year’s and last year’s reorganization meeting. The most notable changes, in my opinion, were the removal of appointments and new business. The Board Attorney has been a significant sticking...
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