BHCW 12/03/2023 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Berkeley Heights This Week…. This week’s newsletter begins with revisiting the Berkeley Heights Board of Education; we review the current BOE Majority’s attempts to gridlock change next year through policy changes. Berkeley Heights residents also discovered that the District’s issues with conducting ethical surveys in obtaining student information continue – this time in connection to...
Role of BOE Members and the Current Race Against Change
The current majority can embrace the benefits of a split Board instead of working feverishly to maintain control. During a recent Berkeley Heights Board of Education meeting, board member Robert Cianciulli appeared rather concerned about having a “4-4 board”. The implication here is that board members would no longer vote in a bloc, but would instead have differing opinions that...
My Notes on the Berkeley Heights BOE 11/16/2023 Meeting
-Natasha Joly Three main topics stood out for me at last night’s meeting. The elimination of Mr. Hopkins’ role as records custodian. I’m happy about this, as I’ve argued many times why this role, which costs an additional $12k per year, was not necessary based on the number of OPRA requests. Mr. Hopkins did not perform well in this role...
11/16/2023 Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting Agenda – Laura & Shauna’s Notes
A. District ByLaws – Study and First Reading 0155 Board Committees The President shall appoint members to any committee and require monthly reporting to Board President. Committees are not authorized to take action on behalf of the Board. The selection and interview process relating to the hiring of a new Superintendent or Interim Superintendent shall be at all times conducted...
Thank You, Berkeley Heights
I am overwhelmed and humbled by the support I received over the past three years. It has not been an easy journey for many parents who have been vocal about change. I am grateful beyond any measure for the number of people who came to the polls in support of change. Words cannot adequately describe how Berkeley Heights united for...
BHCW 11/12/2023 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Berkeley Heights This Week… This week’s newsletter includes a parent exchange with Dr. Varley on class sizes and other issues. This exchange adds evidence to parental concerns about the direction of the District and the value the Superintendent places on feedback from parents outside of her small circle of support. A new board with two...
Vote for Sai Bhargavi Akiri for Berkeley Heights BOE
-Jessica Lesperance Sai has spent countless hours over the past few years attending board meetings, researching topics and analyzing data to help educate and inform the community about what is going on in our school district. While she spent her year-long term as a member of the Board of Education, she asked questions and championed for transparency and accountability. Sai...
“They Just Want to Tear Things Down”
Another thread of misinformation running from the very top of the BOE throughout the community is the lie that we seek to tear our schools down. So, let’s look at the facts of just the past few weeks: Our most prolific contributors (in writing and helping with research) are coaches, are members of parent organizations that support our schools, and...
Berkeley Heights Superintendent and BOE Remain Silent on Nepotism and Busing
Questions that have been asked multiple times over the course of Months Remain Unanswered Below are two email chains from BOE Candidate Sai Akiri to the Berkeley Heights BOE on questions connected to the costs of the Superintendent’s Nepotism case and the Busing Controversy that represented hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. The email chain on the Nepotism...
Natasha’s Notes on the 09/14/2023 BOE Meeting
2023 BOE Candidate Natasha Joly Shares her Notes on the 09/14/2023 BOE Meeting GLHS Student Gia Ghosh presented a beautifully written essay on her experience growing up as an Indian student in Berkeley Heights. She spoke eloquently about how the community has evolved positively. NJSLA presentation – the audience could not follow along as all of the visuals were blurry, so it was...
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