The 2025 Berkeley Heights BOE Reorganization Meeting: Sanity V. Spectacle
The Berkeley Heights Board of Education’s reorganization was so dramatic it could qualify for an Emmy. Next time, perhaps we should aim for a Tony—because honestly, the only way these marathon meetings could be bearable is if the endless contentious debates were performed as a musical, complete with high-energy dance breaks from the Administration. But on a serious note: We...
Johns Notes on the 01/07/2025 BHPSNJ BOE Meeting
Last night’s BOE meeting made it abundantly clear that the board remains deeply divided into two factions: one that seeks to advance change through evidence-based reasoning and thoughtful debate, and another that seems more intent on politicizing every. single. issue. The evening featured the Business Administrator’s perplexing defense of sending documents—already publicly released—for yet another attorney review to determine if...
NJ21st 01/06/2025 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Our Local & State Government This Week…. This week’s newsletter opens with coverage of the Town Council and Board of Education reorganization meetings. Notably, this year marks the first time in recent history that both meetings were scheduled on the same day. Typically, the Town Council reorganization occurs on New Year’s Day. We provide a...
Laura’s Notes on the 01/07/2025 Berkeley Heights Town Council Reorganization Meeting
With the November 2024 election results favoring Andrew Moran, our community seems to be heading toward a direction that many, including myself, are concerned about: governance by a single party. Regardless of political affiliation, single-party dominance rarely benefits anyone. A balanced leadership with diverse ideologies and perspectives fosters healthier governance, especially in a small town like ours, which feels more...
Laura’s Notes on the 01/07/2025 Berkeley Heights BOE Reorganization Meeting Agenda
The Reorganization Meeting of the Berkeley Heights Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, January 7, starting at 6:45 PM. For those familiar with local politics, this coincides with the Town Council Reorganization meeting, creating a scheduling conflict for those interested in both events. Tuesday’s Board of Education agenda appears relatively standard, with no major surprises expected. The meeting...
How to Increase Core-Content Area Instructional Minutes at Columbia Middle School
Increasing minutes and daily practice, especially for math, while sustaining the music program -Written by a non-politically affiliated Educator in the Community For the past few years, the math program at Berkeley Heights Public Schools (BHPS), particularly at Governor Livingston High School (GLHS) and Columbia Middle School (CMS), has underperformed. This article will focus on instructional minutes at CMS and...
Rights and Wrongs of the 2025-26 BHPS Calendar
Tweaks that could have been made for academic benefits and professional development -Written by a non-politically affiliated Educator in the Community At the December 12th, 2024 Berkeley Heights Board of Education (BHBOE) meeting, Acting Superintendent Mr. Richard Nixon presented the 2025-26 school calendar, which was unanimously approved by all Board members. Based on discussion during the meeting and past BHCW...
NJ21st 12/23/2024 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Our Local & State Government This Week…. This week’s newsletter kicks off with the timing of the BHPSNJ Budget Survey release—a topic that didn’t seem to surface at the last BOE meeting. The survey, announced just as the holidays are underway and ahead of the District’s presentation of the prior year’s audit, raises questions. Next,...
NJ21st 12/16/2024 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Our Local & State Government This Week…. Our newsletter kicks off with an in-depth article exploring the history of math education and its relevance to the challenges facing BHPSNJ today. We then provide a recap of the December 12, 2024, meeting, where the Business Administrator introduced last-minute changes to the agenda during the final meeting...
NJ21st 12/09/2024 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Our Local & State Government This Week…. This week’s newsletter opens with our 7-District Dashboard, showcasing Spring 2024 NJSLA performance. We highlight competitive ELA scores, tightening math rankings, and pinpoint areas for improvement in Algebra 1, Geometry, and science compared to peer districts. Next, we dive into a series of in-depth articles on the impact...
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